The record-union., 1892-06-03
THE BALLOT LAW AND THE
LEGISLATURE.

A citizen who has been travelling in
many counties of the State in the inter-
est of one form of ballot booths expresses
10 us his astonishment at the ignorance,
stupidity and willful stubbornness of
many officials regarding the new election
law. He declares that it is simply amaz-
ing to find County Supervisors stub
bornly refusing to even read the law,
much less to comply with it. In many
cases officials say, 1--WE will pay no at
tention to the law; the next Legislature
will get chance at it and knock it out"
In other cases they sneer at the statute,
declare the old way the most social, and
the new to be unnecessary. In other
cases still, they appear to be ignorant of
the law, and refuse to be instructed or to
inform themselves.
On the other hand, says our informant,
The people outside of the officials. are for
The law; they like it well, and the great
mass of them understand it. Old-time
politicians are chief among its oppo-
nents, and very largely inspire such
county officials as are its enemies, with
their opposition to it.
a prevalent error, or rather common
argument in the mouths of the enemies
Of the law, is that it cannot and does not
wholly prevent the rascal from selling his
vote. But this weak-kneed reasoning is
invariably downed by the statement of
he truth, that reform ballot laws are not
passed to make bad men honest, or cor
Tupt ones pure, or to prevent the venal
man from selling the birthright of his cit
lzenship, but TO protect the honest voter
from the domination, COW, browbeating
and roguery of the rascal, the striker, the
boss and the boss hireling, as also from
the frown and threat ofthe employer, and
the menace of power over those who are
at the mercy of others for their bread and
butter.
We are aware that the belief is enter
tanned, indeed it is shouted loudly, that
The Legislature viii repeal the new ballot
law. 1t is doubtless true that an ATTEMPT
10 cripple the law win be made in the
next Legislature. But neither will it be
repealed nor hamstrung. Legislators will
not be chosen this year who are suspected
of enmity to the new law.
In every county in the State the law
has friends sufficient in number to an
ply the test of question and exacted
answer from every candidate for Senate
and Assembly. These candidates must
declare themselves. If enemies or doubt
ers of the new law, the voters will be in
formed OF the fact, and the ambitious
gentlemen in either case will be shelved.
1t is possible that a State conference of
the leaders and workers in securing the
law for California and it's friends will be
held, and that to every candidate the
question will be plainly put whether he
is for or against the reform ballot system.
The Democratic party is pledged to the
law by its platform, and is entitled to the
full credit of declaring plaiuly and en-
phatically in its favor prior to its passage
in the Legislature. 1t is unlikely that il
will recede from that position. The Re-
publican party cannot afford in the COM
ing campaign to place itself in an equiv
ocal attitude concerning the law. 1t must
be pronounced for it. since the law moves
upon the lines of progression which it is
the boast of the party that it follows by
the very nature of its existence. 1t is,
therefore, unlikely that the scheming OF
the enemies of the law will prove very
formidable or dangerous.