Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-09-01
Not an Intricate System.

Not an Intricate System.
Much is being said about the new bal
lot law calculated to convey the impres.
sion that it is very complicated affair
difficult to understand, and likely tc
prove very embarrassing to the voter
Such things as this will naturally be ex.
pected from those who desire to bring
the new system into disrepute for the
purpose of getting the old one restored
but no one who impartially views the
law can haye any reason for appprehen-
sion on account of it.
The feature which most generally con-
Germs the public is that which provides
for the preparation and casting of the
ballot. 1t is the only one which affects
the action of any but certain officials and
election officers. 1t is a perfectly simple
and straightforward provision, and easily
understood by anyone fit to exercise the
franchise. The voter receives from the
election officers an official ballot, upon
which are printed, under the proper
party designations, the names of all can
didates of all parties which have been
properly certified. This ballot he takes
into compartment in the polling place
and marks it so as to indicate for whom
he desires to vote for the several offices.
The ballot is then returned to be de-
posted in the box. That ends the duty
of the citizen, and there is nothing COM
plicated about it.
Bnt it is said there will be confusion
in marking the ballot. There need not
be. One of two ways of marking is pro-
vided in the law. The citizen who
wants to vote for all the candidates of
one party has only to put an y in the
space for that purpose opposite the party
name Republican or Democrat, as his
choice may be. If, however, he wants
to split his ticket, voting for some of the
candidates of one party and some of the
other, it will be necessary for him to put
an y opposite the name of each candi-
date for whom he desires to vote. This
is not difficult. He has only to read
down the list of candidates, marking
those he prefers and not bothering at all
with any others. Only the names of
the candidates so marked will be count
ed. No names must be erased.
If there is any chance for the voter to
become confused it grows out of the fact
that he is permitted choice of one of
two ways of marking ballot. Provision
for a single method would doubtless
have been better; and a single method
would have made it necessary for him
to mark Individually the name of each
candidate of his choice.
Under such system he would know
exactly what he was doing, and his vote
for each candidate would amount to a
separate and deliberate act which can
not always be said in the case of ballot
marked only at the party name. This
is one of the features of the law that
will probably require amendment sooner
or later, as change would still further
simplify the voting.
The law ought to be given every
chance for fair trial at the coming
election, and attempts to alarm the
voter with the idea that it is an intricate
affair deserve to be deprecated. 1t is
not intricate, and its enactment was a
long step in the direction of an excellent
reform. 1t may not be perfect, and ex-
perience will undoubtedly suggest some
needed changes; but the principles
which it embodies will be the leading
feature of our election system in the
future, as they will be in nearly every
other state. This is not a good time to
attempt to discredit the law.-Press.