The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1891-11-20

NHONH were ueNeIopcu ~ Tile
small government bodies of the
middle ages.
One Of these is the form of elect
ing Pope, which has continued 10
our own time. All The Cardinals
are locked up together in a suite Of
rooms at The Vatican, and forbid
den TO have any communication
with the outside world until thev
have made choice. Food is pass
ed in to them, but if the Pope is
elected within few days they are
put on prison ralions by way Of
quickening their work.
A ballot is taken every morning,
followed by another, to give an
opportunity for changing votes.
Each cardinal receives a printed.
blank. He first sIgnsit, then folds
il over so as to conceal The sigma.
ture and seals It. On the uncov-
cred part of The paper he writes
The name of his candidate. If
here is not two-thirds majority
the ballots are burned, and The
smoke tells the waiting crowd that
there is no election
The same process is repeated
evening. When any candidate
gets the necessary twO-thr,ls, the
seals are opened, to make sure
that no unauthorized person has
voted. Then the election is pub
licIy announced.
This carefulness, however. is
MOI hing to that which was used IN
electing dode Of Venice. The
Venetian legislature, despairing of
getting an election which would
not be controlled by politicians
intrigues, called on the lot as their
helper.
When doge was to be elected
The great council of between 400
and 500 members was called TO-
gether. Those below 80 years of
aye were shut out and the names
of the rest were written on slips
of paper. A small boy was then
picked up on The street and
brought in to draw out thirty
names.
Out of these thirty. nine were
chosen 10 go on with The election.
They were to choose 40 others.
Four of them nominated five each.
five of them four each, and each Of
the 40 must be confirmed by a
two-ihirds vote of the nine. Out
of these 40 names II were taken
by lot.
The IL in The same way chose a
new board OF 25, the chairman
nominating three and each of the
others two, a three.iourlhs vote
being necessary TO elect. Lots
were again drawn for the nine
of The 25. These nine IN the
same way chose As others, of whom
the lot picked out IL.
These II, still in the same form,
nominated Al 10 elect the doge.
Each of these must be confirmed
by a majority of the whole of the
great council. Then The Al we're
locked up together TO go on with
The election. While they were
locked up each Of them was fur
niShed with whatever he asked
Tor, regardless of expense. But
the same must be given TO each Of
the Al.
For instance, there was once an
elect0r who wished to read in
"Esop's Fables" He got the book,
but not until all Venice had been
ransacked TO find the necessary fl
copies. Al another time one OF
them ordered a rosary. Foriy-one
rosaries made their appearance in
due form.
This treatment was expected to
make the electors so unanimous
that at least 25 of them would
agree on a doge. When this took
place the rIgmarole was over. An
evening newspaper. trying TO fol-
low The returns ut Venice at that
time, would have had painful
times.
Coming back 10 The ballot as
nsed by common mortals, aud
coming down 10 tins couairy, the
Hungarian ballot of 80 years ago is
one OF the most interesting. The
voter had given tn him a stick from
lour TO six feel long. With this he
went alone INTO room where the
ballot boxes were placed, each one
bearing The name and color OF a
candidate. In one of these he
must place his stick. The object
in having such large ballot was
To make sure that there were not
two or three exf.a ones concealed
in The citizens pockets. But this
has now been replaced by prosalc
paper.
In Greece at The present day the
ballot j. a little lead ball. There
is a box for each candidate, divided
INFO compartments. A clerk goes
from box 10 box with the voter,
carrying bowl full of these balls.
AT each box The voter takes one,
pulls his hands into funnel, out
OF sight, and drops his ball into
the yes or no compartments, max
ing vote for or against The candi-
date. III he wishes to vote for
more than one party there is noih-
ing 10 prevent him.