The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-27
Tho raliot Test In massachusetts.

Tie controversy which has arisen in Mas
sachusetts over tho election for Governor
is ono Of the natural results Of tho far
famed and much-vnuntcd Australian system
or cross.mark voting. and tho ears OF many
righteous reiormcrs must DO tingllng In
accord with tho strong language used by
many citizens In characterizIg their new
tangled voting cont.ivancc.
The facts OF the cnse are simple: At the
ate election in tho Bay State the Republ!-
cnn candidate for Lieutennnt-Go Governor was
RouER WoLCorr. The Prohibition candi-
date for Governor was WALCoTT HAML1N,
and the Republican leaders In Massachu-
sets allcge that many votcrs. desiring to
VITO for HALLE. tho Republican candidate
for Governor and WoLcoTT the Republic
can nominee for observation-disclosures. and
confused by tho complexities OF the absurd
closs-marked system, mistook WAL
COLT" for "WoLCoTr." and placed the
mixed ale trade mark after two can
didatcs for Governor. thus In effect
voting for both. These tickets were
thrown out rs irregular. with the result, so
the Republicans cluim. that Mr.. RUSSELL
was declared elected bv tho slender margin
of 2. 800 in u total vote in excess OF 100000.
whereas Mr. HALLE should have won. The
Democrats, on tho other hand, nllege that
not only was Mr.. RUSSELL technically vic
torious. but he was actually the popular
choice. the disputed votes being fewer in
number than the figure of his plurality.
This is n question for the people OF Mas
snchusetts, whose representatives enacted
this law. and who have been voting under
It's provisions since 1889. to determine for
themselves. Massachusetts went Repuhli-
can by q, 900 in tho national contest, and it
Is no small tribute to the personal popular
lily OF Governor RUSSELL that he should
succeed even by the small lead ap,, aren't by
the returns. But the hollowness. futility.
and absurdity of the whole cross-mark sys-
tenn is shown less by the points OF the con-
troversy we have rccited than by another
fact which scoms to have generally escaped
notice. Tho blank votes cast ut the recent
election in Massachusetts about this there
is no dispute) we're:
19166 on Governor:
32.OO5 on Lieutenant. Governor
80O67 Treasurer. and
<OoD< on Secretary Of State.
What sort of an electoral system is it in
which. In an important Presidential cleo
ton. and. as Governor RUSSELL points out
at the seventh or eighth trial Of the Austria
liam system. from 10000 to 10000 sovereign
American electors are 30 enmeshed in the
intricacies Of legal technicality that their
votes count as blank. and they are practi-
cally disfranchised?
What could be said In support OF the In
PRODUCTION OF the cross-mark system in New
York II. in the same proportion. loo. 900 vot-
ers were to be deprived by it Of their right
OF choice. and elections decided. not In
favor OF the candidates receiving the larger
number OF votes. but adversely to the party
whose members made the larger number Of
unintentional mistakes In tho preparation
OF an eclectic and academic ballot2
II such are the fruits Of the Australian
system Of cross marks In the old State of
Massachusetts,. the less We have to do with
1t hero the better.