The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-09-21

ions, or in spite of its mandates, that
the law is a misfit, in some respects, in
its application to Vermont, no impair
tial observer of its practical working
will deny. That the new ballot-for
state and county officers in particular
was trap and snare, a hindrance to
the exercise of the right of suffrage, a
perversion or reversion of that right,
the history of the voting at the recent
election, as written on the ballots by as
intelligent a body of voters as exists
anywhere under the sun, abundantly
testifies.
That there is universal demand for
the summary repeal of the law by the
republicans, or the republican papers of
this state, as the professional and incor-
rigible liars about Vermont and the re.
publican party of Vermont-the Spring
field Republican, for example-are de-
claring and insisting, is not true. The
great cardinal features of the law-the
official ballot and secrecy in voting
Vermont republicans believe "must
and shall be preserved" but they should
be preserved and made operative by
methods which do not practically dis
franchise large numbers of voters, and
which do not divert from candidates for
office votes that were clearly intended
for them. Throughout the state can
didates for state or county offices who
CHANGED to come second or third or
fourth on the list were not given the
votes that, it was plain, were intended
for them. The acknowledgement
for example, quite generally ran be-
hind the head of the ticket, solely by
reason of his position on the ticket and
method of marking that seems to
have proved unintelligible to large
number of voters, who marked the
cross (x) against the name of the can
didate for governor, but skipped the
candidates for the remaining offices,
under the impression evidently that the
cross marked in the margin of the bal
lot opposite the name of the governor
carried its indicative force down along
the entire list of candidates of the same
political faith. In counties having two
senators the second republican candi-
date narrowly escaped defeat by the
first democratic candidate solely be-
cause many voters, having marked a
cross in the margin of the ballot oppo-
site the name of the first candidate, sup
posed that by such act they had indi-
Gated their vote for both candidates.
This popularity in marking affected as
sistant judges in like manner. The
Springfield Republican declares that
these obliquities in voting "simply
show what large proportion of our
voters there is that are unfit to eXer-
else their right" Sense and grammar
are alike befogged in the Republican,
mind. A business man, an editor or
, an editorial writer, an accountant, a
base ball scorer, civil engineer, might
= quickly grasp all the intricacies of the
, official ballot for state and county Of
., ficers; but the farmer, the mechanic
: the day laborer, who handle other tools
than pen or pencil, who are not apt to
, be "pen and ink men," might errone.
: ously mark the ballot prescribed by ex'
listing law, without thereby impeaching
their" fitness to exercise the right o.
suffrage" The form of the ballot car
unquestionably be better adapted to
the securing of full and accurate eX
preston of the will of every voter.
If the second cardinal feature of the
law, secrecy, is to be kept inviolate
and if the existing law gives the entire
board of civil authority the freedom Of
the sacred space within the guard raj
:, while the voting is going on, that free
u dom should be somewhat restricted
> This board, comprising the selectmer
- and justices of the peace, may include
y within its membership some exper
= spoilers. There was monkeying
with voters to some extent. The ballo
v clerk, too, comes dangerously near per
. forming the functions of boss and die
- tator in the guardianship the law give'
him over the ignorant or illterate voter
:, For the salutary manipulation of thi
u unfortunate freeman, the suggestion il
made that he be placed in the custod,
. of ballot clerk from each of the lead
% ing political parties. This might in
. sure fsir play, but the remedy that will
- go to the root of the difficulty is tina
the ignorant or illiterate be not allowed
to vote till he can read ballot, or cal
write upon it the name of the man TO
whom he desires to vote
. The ballot law is in no danger of re
= peal; amendment in respect of variou
, serious defects, to only two or three o