The record-union., 1892-04-14
ELECTION Law OBJECTIONS.

The San Francisco Chronicle insists that
the RECORD UNION does not answer the
objections which it has raised to the new
ballot law. We have; every one. But, if
we were to concede that we have not, it
would be because it is not deemed neces-
sary. There is one wide, sweeping and
incontrovertible answer to the Chronicle,
and it is The fact that the law Is a success,
despite our contemporaries objections. !"
Nothing is easier in this vale of life than
to object; it is infinitely less difficult to
tear down than to build up. The Hottest
code ever conceived by human wisdom
may be objected to and be the subject of
utilization of truth, nevertheless. Wher-
ever tried the new ballot law is success;
it satisfies the people; it has their ap-
proval; it receives their plaudits; since
they are the supreme authority and they
alone are affected, trivial objections and
fiaw-picking are of no importance. Some
BASoV, VI NShlus anu tiudFOludDlo 6fll duu
monstrous wrong must be found in the
operation of the law before it will fail.
The Chronicle. however, for its tena-
cious adherence to it's error in denouncing
the law, demands something in the way
of response. 1t says:
The chief contention of the RECoRD-CNIoS
Is that the new law is the conservator of the
secrecy OF the ballot, though it is forced to adj
nit that under either law, if the voter be dis
honest and salable, the vote broker can use
him Why does it not go further and admit
tiiit the new law, with its provision for the
sample ballot and the illiteracy clause. makes
IL absolutely certain that the vote broker can
know that his infamous purchase has been
contaminated and the bargain kept? Cannot
the RECoRD-UNIoN see that il is not the illit-
crate but the pretendedly illiterate from whom
danger Is to be apprehended?
We were not forced to admitn that
under either law the dishonest voter can
be used. 1t was the simple statement of
an axiom that the dishonest man cannot
be lifted out of his immortality by any law.
The election law is not responsible for
the salable voter he is the product of
vicious politics and insensible conscience.
Now. the illiterate voter cannot make alb
solutely certain proof that he has deliv-
cred the goods, except there is one of the
Election Board in collision with the
vote-buyer. Under the old law this was
not necessary; boss lieutenant or hire
ling marched the purchased voter to the
polls. gave him his ticket and watched
him until he deposited it. Under the old
law the honest voter, whose bread and
butter depended upon his employer,
could be and was often Swallowed to the
polls and offered ticket. If he refused
1t, he did so at his peril. If he accepted
it, he must resort to thimble-rigging and
legerdemain in order to dispose of the
ballot handed TO him and substitute the
"vest-pocket' ticket. Very few only
were able to do that. Under the new law,
however, with its secret voting booth and
official ballot, the voter goes to the polls
absolutely free from surveillance and
perfectly Independent of attempted CO.
ercion. So that, under the most vigorous
assault the Chronicle can make, it is seen
that the new is immeasurably great i'm
provement upon the old law, in securing
to the voter freedom from interference.
But it is the illiterate clause that occa-
sions our contemporary the most distress.
it appears to be more concerned, indeed,
for the small percentage of illiterates than
for the preservation of the independence
of the many, and asks with anxiety what
is to be done for the flame, the halt and
the blind?' The lame and the halt are
not necessarily unable to mark ballots:
those crippled in the hands are the very
few, and if the boss element voted them
all the advantage would not be his to
such an extent as to justify abandoning
the ballot-boxes to his mercy. For to re-
turn to the old system would be to cast
aside demonstrated specific against
ballot-box stuffing and ballot manipula-
ton. The stub-book, receipt, check sys-
tenn of the new law, with the official bal
lot and its water mark, is an absolute
preventive of stuffing and of ballot alter
alton, advances that alone render all pos
sible objections to the law trit1ing and
inconsequential.
Our contemporary fears that great num-
hers of vicious voters will pretend to be
illiterate, blind and paralytic, in order to
earn coin for the sale of their votes. But
that is game that cannot be long played.
The penitentiary stares the man in the
face who takes the oath falsely that he
cannot read, or is paralytic or is blind.
The decent voting population can be
trusted TO take care of that stripe of
rascals. The vote broker always has an
opponent as shrewd as himself, fact that
renders traffic in perjury at the polls very
dangerous. There may be some playing
with that kind of fire, but it will be of
small account, and infinitely less danger
Gus than the old practice of marching
voters to the polls and forcing them to
deposit ballots put between their fingers.
The new law is success we repeat, and
the Chronicle should gracefully concede
what all the rest of mankind now know.