The morning call., 1892-11-07
MORE ELECTION QUERIES.
Rvery Voter Is Interested In Mastering
Them.

Every Voter Is Interested In Mastering
Them.
Subscriber, City, writes under date Of
November a. Question-(D IL is said that
the bosses intend to provide each OF their
paid voters, whether illiterate or not. with
a sheet OF paper of the exact size of the
legal ballot, on which have been cut ont
previously as many squares as there are
names to be voted upon and corresponding
with the blank spaces placed on the right
Of the names. The only thing the voter has
to do is TO lay fat this stencil on the ballot
and mark the cross through it. Would this
be legal?
Answer-lt would be perfectly legal. but
ft would not work worth cent. The voter
who makes use of such stencil might vote
for his bltterest enemy. Here is a rough
and ready way of trying it. Rule 200 lines
half an inch apart on one sheet OF paper
and 200 lines the same distance apart on
another. Lay No. / over No. / and No.
over No 5. Now notice whether No. 175
will come over No. IT'S and whether il is
not actually over No. l73 or No. 179. One
OF the greatest inventions In steganOgraphy
or secret writing actually failed from this
very reason. You can exemplfy it still
more easily by looking at the five of
diamonds, the two OF tie same suit
the three, the four, the six, the eight
and the ten, all OF which look alike top
and bottom. But let an experienced
card player place them in line, and request
you 10 reverse one OF them, or TWO, If you
wish. and be will tell you on returning to
the room the cards you reversed. The rea-
son is that there is sure TO be an impeff feet
register. minute difference between top
and bottom. 1t will not matter if il is the
hundredth OF an inch; the eye will perceive
ii. On long list like the municipal ticket,
the stencil dodge will fail every time. If
you don't believe II, try it.
OuasfiaO f0l-Thn hnSsnc small nf in
stIuctiDg voters 10 make on the ballot
conventional mark. so as to know II they
have voted according to the instructions of
the bosses. Would not this annul the bal
lot?
Answer-Assuredly. The slightest mark
made with a pencil OF other instrument. or
even with the finger-nail. would inyalidate
the ballot paper and cause it TO be thrown
out. The judges of election would have no
difficulty In distinguishing these marks
when number OF doubtful cases are CON-
pared. A fiyspeck is one thing. but any
thing outside the regular ballot stamp in
the proper place will certainly cause the
--Yoter to expend his labor in vain. II a man
walsts TO make sure of having his paper
thrown Dsst, all he has TO do is to mark it
wfth pencil. <Jont or back. name, cross or
other sIsssSSto let a>tlend know how he has
voted. Any 0r<sSEsse t6fsgs will throw out a
ballot paper, hoWc>% carefally it may have
been stamped. In rssEly every Gaze a
tiduu IbNeal5 iIebu OH tUe>aAlsStEditan Sys-
tenn. because all the doubtfSs~cases are
taken together and compared for ~ such
marks of Identification.
T. p. B. and NJ. J. c.. City. write: Please
settle dispute between two subscribers
by saying if there is a socialist candidate
in the field aspiring for the Presidency at
the coming election9
Auswer-There is not
W. K, City, writes: There is a dispute
between few friends in regard 10 the edu-
eatiOnal qualification that Will be voted on
N0vem Der 8. j maintain that if it applies
to ali voters it wilt be practical disiran-
chisement Of large number Of citizens, and
will be an ex-post-faeto law; also that If il
is ex-post facto ii is unconstitutional.
AnsweT-It is impossible for it TO be an
ex-post-faeto law for the reason that ii
could only operate in the future; that is TO
say it could not be retroactive or affect any,
thing or any body before it was passed. 1t
cannot be unconstitutional because the only
discrimination between voters provided
against is such as arises from religion, color,
previous condition of serviiude, etc. There
is no mention Of the educational matter in
this clause, and, by the way, the State of
Massachusetts has long refused citizenship
to persons unable to read and write Mis-
sissppi also Ieglslates against iiliIerate per-
sons. Wyoming refuses citizenship to per-
sons unable to read