The Indianapolis journal., 1892-10-03


No person who knows the Indiana
Democracy will believe that in support
ing the Australian ballot law they in
tended to sacrifice any points of van
tage or relinquish any chances of carry
ing elections by trickery and fraud. 1t
Is not credible that party which had
Systematically opposed every measure
for securing honest elections should
suddenly become converted to this new
law unless they expected to find ways
of evading it OF making it work to their
advantage. One of these ways was by
capturing the political machinery of the
State, which gives them majority on
most of the election boards. The law
was no sooner passed than the Sentinel
began to point out the immense impOr-
tance of electing Democratic township
trustees, who are er o6iciO inspectors
of election. Another anticipated ad-
vantage was in doing away with wit
nesses to the count. or, as they were
called, watchers. The present law re-
peals the old provision for watchers.
AS our elections are now conducted
there can be no witnesses TO the connt,
and. as the Democrats have majority
of the election officers in large major
ity of the precincts In the State, the
Republicans are ut great disadvantage
both In the conouct of the election and
the count of the votes. In large ma
jority of the precincts the election
boards will stand two Democrats to one
Republican, and this disparity will con-
tinue till the last vote is counted. Ii
any person thinks this advantage will
not be worked by the Democrats for all
it is worth, he is ignorant Of their ante
cedents, disposition and practice. 1t
was taken into account in the passage
of the law, and the amendments which
have been made to the law were in
tended to supplement and emphasize
the advantage.
The only way the Republicans can off
set the disadvantage under which they
pow rest is by applying for the appoint
ment of supervisors under the United
States Law. This law has been in force
more than twenty years. 1t is of gem
eral application in all the States. and
while not resorted to in all elections. it
has been in many. 1t has been resorted
plication of Democrats. tits in tended
to secure honest elections, and is good
law. Under it the citizens of any cOun-
ty OF of any city in the State hav-
ing upward of 10000 population
may apply to the United States
judge to have the election guarded
and scrutinized, and the judge shall
appoint two supervisors, of opposite
politics, who are authorized to be pres
ent at the polls and within the voting
places during the time of the voting and
the counting of the votes, "and to per-
sonally inspect and scrutinize, from
time to time, and at all times, on the day
of election, the manner in which the
in which the poll-books, registry lists
and tallies or check books are kept"
They are also required to personally
scrutinize and count each and every bal
lot cast in the precinct where they are
appointed. In short. they are author
lied and required to do whatever is
necessary to secure fair election and
an honest count. Wherever supervisors
are appointed one will be Republican
and one a Democrat. This will still
leave the Republicans in a minority in
most of the voting precincts of the State,
but it gives them the equivalent of an
additional member of the board and a
watcher at the count. 1t is to be pre-
sumed, also. that the Democratic super
visor appointed by the United States
Judge will not be an offensive partisan
or dirty worker.
There is no reason why the Republic
ans should not avail themselves of this
law in every county of the State where
they are in minority. If the Demo-
Gratis wish to avail themselves of it in
counties where they are in a minority
they have a perfect right to do SO. Its
universal application throughout the
State would, in the opinion of the Jour-
nal, contribute materially to fair cleo
tiOn and an honest count.