The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-08-06
THE ELECTION LAW.

Florida, and specially against the
separate box for each candidate,
which regulation caused the number
Of boxes for state officers to be eight,
a box for each officer being voted
for. Strong provision is made in
the law, to preserve the purity of
the ballot and separate ballots are
required, each having the name of
the person voted for upon it in
printing or plain writing. A penalty
is fixed for any violation of this
law either by the sheriff or any
deputy of his, or any person con-
victed Of a violation, of fine and
imprisonment, not exceeding one
hundred dollas, or not exceeding
three months Imprisonment, and of
course the consequent disfranchise-
ment.
This.is the gist Of the law, and it
is plain in reading the law in detail
that the sole contemplated end of the
law,is to prevent the perversion of the
ballot by tampering with it ON the
part of those to whom it is consigned,
and illegal voting, and above all the
unwarranted interference of rash and
unprincipled partisans from exert
ing undue influence by the improper
use of money, or by operating upon
the fears of voters, either by loss of
employment, or apprehension of
their persecution, or social or bust
ness ostracism.
In every state all over the Union
the universal assertion and claim is
that intelligence, at least rudimental,
is required where so much depends
upon the proper and independent
exercise of the franchise. This is the
one main argument used everywhere
in favor of state public instruction
Of the masses and until now remains
unanswered and not refuted.
The Florida system Of ballot
boxes is q simple test Of this intelli
gence. The law requires that the
name of the Office to be voted for
shall be upon the box designed for
that Office in Roman letters (printed)
or in plain writing, the voter enters
the voting place alone, his ballots in
his hand, he reads the names of the
officers upon the boxes (if he cam
and from his tickets selects the nam
of the man he desires to vote for.
and when through voting retires and
another voter enters and so on dur
ing the hours specified for opening
the polls, all this as we have said is
test Of the necessary intelligence
of the voter to exercise q franchise
which is so inseparably associated
with the well being and perpetuity
of the country, but it also relieves
the voter from those influences so
pernicious at every election all over
the country. The law of Florida
evidences it's intended fairness where.
in it provides that the names of the
officers to be voted for shall be
printed or written in the text OF
several languages in order to make
it easy for our foreign element to
understand how they are voting; but
there is no text Of ignorance except
the sign manual Of placing ballot
in the hand of the ignorant voter
either with the threat Of vengeance
or the purchase money for which The
Ignorant man sells his birth right
The objection to the law wher
analysed will be found to be 10 the
fact that it destroys the power o
the manipulation, and purchaser o
votes, and drives the blinded
partisan from his favorite field.
The republican party 10 almos
unanimous control OF the constitu
tional convention of 1858, and unde
which the state remained until 1885
fixed for the disfranchisement o
Ignorance in the year 1880, bu
willy politicians saw the danger o
loss Of power by such law and tn
i Unconstitutional nr0yieiorl was neye