Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-01-14
HISTORY OF VOTING.
A Secret Ballot Used by tho An
cient Greeks.
Usual Form tor tho Election OF y Pope
Electlng Doge-The Hun
garian system Of Thirty
Years Ago,

Where did tho ballot como from2
Like Topsy and most other human in
stitutions, IL "growcd." And in its
growth IL has taken such varied forma
II will make an interesting study OF
course. in the good Old times, when all
civilized countries were governed by
kings, there was no use for ballot. A
primitive, self.governing tribe, like
those Of the ancient Germans, was sat
isfied with viva.voce voting. The Jews,
before they had kings, might he called
a self-governing people. Strictly, how
ever, their theory Of government put
everything in the hands Ct God, and in
technical terms was n thcocracy II
public officer must be chosen, he was
named by Gods representative, the
priest or prophet, or else lots were cast
and IL was expected that God would
send the right lot 10 the right man. II
is not unlikely that such casting Of lots
gave the first hint Of n secret ballot.
The ancient Greeks used the ballot
In cnacting laws and in courts where
there were large number OF judges.
The ballot there was originally peb-
bic, whole for yes vote or pierced
with hole for a no. Sometimes there
was only one stone, which was dropped
into a yes or no box. Later the peb.
BILE was changed for q little bronze
wheel A few Of these have been
found in modern times stamped on one
side with the words official ballot"
and on the other with the number OF
the judicial district
In electing officers the Greeks voted
by show of hands. Often officers were
appointed by lot White and black
beans were used for lots, and those
who were understood TO be hungry for
office received the suggestive name OF
bean-eaters. The idea here was that
every citizen was good enough to hold
Office, and this was the most impartial
way Of dividing the spoils They
never used secret ballot to vote for
candidates in the modern fashion, but
only TO vote against them.
II party spirit was running high and
the power OF boss was growing dan.
gerous n vote Of exile was ordered
Each citizen wrote name on an oyster
shell or piece OF broken croclScry and
put this vote secretly into the box.
Any boss against whom there was
sufficient majority must leave the coun-
try for ten years,
This peculiar institution, called oS.
tracism, is really the nearest approach
the Greeks made 10 n modern ballot
system. Ostracism went out OF use
because ON certain important occasion
the thunderbolt failed to hit either Of
the prominent leaders, but struck com.
paratively obscure persons
The details are not quite clear II
has been suggested, however that the
great bosses made a deal by which
they were TO let each other alone and
give all the votes to a troublesome
third party man. The result was SO
unsatisfactory to the people that os.
tracism was given up.
The ballot was introduced into Rome
in the second century - G. This was
the real Australian ballot The voter
received sort of wooden slate covered
with wax, on which the names Of all
the candidates were scratched. lie
made holes in the wax opposite those
Of his choice and dropped his tablet
in the box
After the downfall OF the Roman re-
public popular government took long
sleep, and there was little use for n
ballot till quite modern times Still,
some of the most curiously elaborate
ballot systems known were developed
in the small governing bodies Of the
middle ages.
Ono Of these is the form for electing
u pope, which has continued TO our own
time. All the cardinals are locked up
together in a suite Of rooms at the
vatican and forbidden TO have any
communication with the outside world
till they have made q choice Food Is
passed in to them, but II the pope is
not elected within few days they are
put on prison rntions by way OF quick
ening their work.
A ballot Is taken every morning, fol-
lowed by another, TO give an oppor-
tunity for changing votes Each car
dlnal receives printed blank. lie
first signs II, then folds IL over so as TO
conceal the signature and seals H. On
the uncovered part OF the paper he
writes the name Of his candidate. II
there Is not a two-thirds majority the
ballots are burned and the smoke
tells tho waiting crowd outside that
there Is no election.
The same process Is repeated every
evening When any candidate gets the
necessary two-thirds the sealed sig
natures arc opened to make sure that
no unauthorized person has voted
Then the election Is publicly az
nounced.
This carefulness, however. Is moth
ing TO that which was used In Gle ling
doge OF Venice, The Venetian legis-
lators' despairing Of getting an election
which would not be controlled by poll
tcions' lntrigues. called In tho lot ~
thoir helper