St. Landry democrat., 1892-06-18
The Australian System OF Voting.

In the early colonial history of on
country the manner Of voting was Civ
en- comparatively little attention; tn,
whole question hinged on the proposi
ton as to whom the right of suffrage
should be given. In Massachusetts BAY
| Colony, and in Connecticut, the right OF
franchise was bestowed only upon
! the members OF the church. But the
freedom and intelligent manhood of the
people soon asserted itself, and this res
friction was abolished. After the set
Elements had become permanent and
when the public Offices became of pc
cunlary value and when distinction be-
gan to drown, in a measure, patriotism,
then the scramble for office began. Still
the Inherent honesty of the people stood
them we'll in hand and but little fraud,
IT any, was practiccd for many years !;
but as the conditions BECAME more
changed and when the resources Of the
country were developed to the extent
that Immigration came in large vol
umes, then the practice Of using money
to further the unholy greed of the IN
scrupulous for public patronage began,
aud with this practice the American
people began to hedge in the ballot box
with such restrictions and limitations
rs would insure comparatively honest
expression OF the public Will: and now,
this unholy practice of bringing the in
iiuence OF corporations and the intimi.
dating influence Of DULLES to bear upon
the weaker and more unstable class to
further lie designs OF the unscrupulous
aspirant for office, has made it neccs-
sary TO hedge the ballot box with res
trlttions unheard Of a half century
ago.
Many states have lately adopted what /;
Is known as tic Australian system of |
voting, OF this system with some modi-
Ications, and wherever the system
las been tried the people speak in un-
measured terms OF its efficiency.
1he system is nothing more than this
At each voting place Il small room is
into which the voter must 90
ma get and prepare his ticket. The
aW requires the various parties or iu-
'lvlduals to name their candidates for
acil office, and to submit these names
o the authorities a certain number of
lays prior to the election, and the state
hen has the ticket printed, each cam
ldate under tho caption of the partv
NOSE nominee he may be. These tick
is are all printed and placed near the
ooth at the voting place, under the di-
1ction of a special person. The voter
axes the ticket, makes a cross or a
amp, as the law may direct, on the
largIn OF the ticket opposite the name Z
the candidates that he desires to
Ote for. .
run directions for marking or STAMP 7
x the ticket is posted in the booth and {
~ person OF ordinary intelligence and r
Dlhty should be able to properly pre- T
IRE his ticket; but in case the voter ia /
Ut satisfied without direction from e
'mebody, he can call in the Judge of =
e election or some other person com
issloned TO so act, whose duty it is to d
rect the voters Az to the method of i
arklng his ticket, but who can not
rect In any way the choice of the
'ter as to any candidate; his business Il
simply official, and not political. AZ c
the directions have been given the h
ter is then left alone and he prepares b
ticket and votes it before nassing h
to the outside. AS only one person n
in booth at one time there 7
absolute secrecy, and therefore safety :,
the voter. Again, in order to pre- y
ut tricks from being prepared in ad- a.
nee or from being prepared during a
day, the tickets are kept from the g
PIC ana no man can secure but one a.
tnat after entering tho booth, and ii
Duid he after receiving bis ticket, de-
TO pass out before voting he must
urn Ills ticket to the person from z!
'on he received it, and under some =
vs. we understand that tho person can l
again present himself to vote, III
us every man may vote a secret bal Ca
an anu uhaer no circumstances can he a. a,
lea up and voted as is the custom of III
ne ward bosses to vote the scabs and fr
pes. Under this law everv man mnst ca
intelligent enough to Judge for him co
which among the candidates he de- ell
IS to support. He must therefore TO
llliarlze himself with the various co
didates and in so doing will certainly to
prepared to vote more intelligently, oa
very man may. under the methods, III
eft his manhood and vote his choice: an
VIII not be bullied and caioled or nd
'ilght upon 10 any improper manner :
Tho bosses. But perhaps one of the nm
I features OF the system is the fact str
no man can vote who has not suf- tic
NJ education TO prepare his ticket. fat
5 driScs away the skum that is su :
seious to the political advancement TO-
early every considerable town, ito
Duld this system be put in force it 25(
liu nave a tendency to cause eyery vol
'fant' wei meaning man to acquire an,
east limited education, while il cas-
.ah forever dcbar tho poor ignorant Til
} for half the liquor NECESSARY 70 inc inc t n,'
cate, and who is too INDECENT TO def
TO acquire even r,dimental Lv
Wedge of letters, but whose vista III
~ as much before Tie majesty Of ma
aw as thatat the nioSt ACCOMPLISHED cIa
~ ''''Hch' iusi