The record-union., 1892-02-02
THE DUTIES OF VOTERS AT THE
COMING ELECTION.

uon, one in which the new secret ballot
law will be tested, and very much more
severely than at the December election.
All fair-minded people wish the law to
have a free field for an honest, unob-
structed and perfectly impartial trial.
He is not fair, not friend of free and un-
trammeled voting, who raises technical
objections, suggests difficulties, or inter
poses obstacles to the proper and natural
operation of the law.
The purpose of the new system is to
give every voter the broadest possible op-
portunity to cast his ballot freely, with
out supervision, inspection, intimidation,
or undue influence, since by that means
only can full and fair expression of the
will Of the majority be obtained, and free
government in its integrity be main
tanned.
For the sake of the argument it may be
admitted that the law works hardships in
certain cases, but so does every law upon
our statute books. All laws bear hardly
on the ignorant, for instance, and Sc
Verely upon those grossly illiterate AS
an example, it is urged in this city and
with no little persistency, that the ballot
law is an outrage upon the voter who
cannot read. Suppose it to be as charged,
what then? Shall the ninety-five or
ninety-seven voters in the hundred who
can read be deprived of the benefits of the
law to favor the five or three who are
illiterate?
But as a matter Of fact the illiterate
voter has precisely the same opportunity
he enjoyed under the old law; that is,
he can prepare his ballot at home, where
ne can have such advice as he chooses, for
sample ballot is ready for him ten days
before the election; he can mark it and
carry it with him into the booth and
mark his official ballot after it.
So every objection and all cavil about
the new law is capable of being un-
covered; in fact, the law is easily de-
tended at every point and is compre-
hensible by child. 1t should be the
office OF every newspaper, and of every
friend of the new system from this time
forward, to the day of election, to i'm
press upon the minds of voters-since
there are some who have not studied the
law, and others who entertain feeling
OF opposition to it, because it is a depart
ure from the more familiar method, and
others still who are slow of comprehen-
sion-the simple and distinct provisions
they must observe in order to exercise
their rights freely and uninterruptedly
under the law.
The chief things, in the light of the ex-
perlence of the December election, upon
which it appears to be necessary to edu-
cate some voters are these:
1. That the official stamp found in each
voting compartment is to be used in
marking ballots, and not a pencil, even
though a pencil is found in the booth
also.
2. That this stamp is to be touched to
the ink pad beside it, and then lightly
pressed upon the ballot in the square to
the right Of the name of the candidate the
elector wishes to vote for, these names
being distinctly printed in large type.
3. That if the voter desires to cast his
ballot for straight party list ofnominees.
he must press the stamp opposite the
party title of his choice, and make no
other markings upon the ballot; i. e.
stamp opposite no other name; any
marking will result in the ballot being
thrown out, and for reasons clearly obyi-
Gus.
4. That if in the plainly printed list of
candidates under each official title, there
is not one whom the elector wishes to
vote for, he may write the name of any
other person in the blank to be found at
the foot of each separate list of nominees.
That it is unnecessary to impress the
stamp opposite such written names, as
they will be counted unstamped. Finally,
before leaving the ballot compartment.
the voter must fold his ballot from the
bottom until it is narrow slip, showing
on its outside leaf the printed number
thereof.
1t would seem that these directions are
so clear and simple that no one with in
telligence enough to read them can pos
sibly make an error. The same direc-
tons and cautions will be found in every
voting compartment printed in large
type, and also posted at various places
near and at the polls.
There are some things likewise that the
officials of the city should observe, and
that it is to be presumed they will attend
to. Thus, the voting compartments must
be placed farther apart; if it is not pos
sible then a close watch should be main
tanned over them. In December in several
cases the failure to sufficiently separate
them enabled striker to enter a COM
partment, with purchased voter in the
next one. The striker then received from
the seller his ballot, marked it and passed
it back to him over the top of the com
partment, thus making the delivery o.
the goods" certain, and defeating ons