The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-11-17


count of the municipal ballot in this and
other cities are not likely to be repeated
when next the people express their wishes
under the Australian ballot system. 1t is
quite possible to provide for a mechanical
count, ballot by ballot, as the voters come
and 60, SO that fraud on the part of officers
of election VIII be absolutely Iullified. The
Wheatstone electric transmitter or some
similar plan, self-recnrdlng. can be applied
ballot by ballot and the voter can stand by
and see his vote registered indelibly by the
turn OF a cylinder. Some mechanicians are
at work on the solution of this problem. 1t
is certainly much more easy OF solution
tnan the work which Babbage's calculating
machine does or the numbering Of bank
notes and railroad tickets. Thirty States
have adopted the Australian ballot system.
The inventor who perfects a ballOt-count-
ing machine will make a fortune. That
machine will drive fraud TO the wall and the
accurate count Of any election will be
known within an hour after the poll closes
That will be great gain to every body con-
cerned. What Is there more harassing 10
the nerves than prolonged uncertainty to
how an election has resulted? Dubiety
during fortnight is enough TO send some
candidates for Office to the lunatic asylum
Make the mechanism of elections perfect
aud fraud will go TO the grave. There will
no longer be any object in the employment
OF hoodums.
The evil of the present method Of record
ing votes is that some or all the clerks in an
election booth msy be dishonest. They
may have entered into compact to count
this and that way or destroy. Clerks are
employed on the principle Of neediness.
They think they must live. so they are EN-
ployed. Any device which would check
mate this tendency to raseality would be
welcomed by the mass of the American
people. Justification in postage is very
difficult 1t would be equally so in voting
The time must come when a voter, casting
his ballot should be able to feed il into a
printing machine that cannot lie. He could
then leave his voting precinct with a safe
assurance that his vote cannot be tampered
with. at present all the siumgullions OF
the nation, outside the penitentary, claim
the upper hand IN elections. This debase-
ment must be put down, or democracy, the
rule OF the people, will fail in the science oil
government. Really If votes could be
counted with infallible honesty there would
he no fear OF government by the people for
the people. The next Australian ballot will
end the bosses and some of the railroads in
politics.
A crisis generally appears to be uppermost
In France. There is Cabinet trouble over
the Panama canal direction, or swindle, as
it should be termed. Poor NJ. de Lasseps,
81 years OF age, a grand man in many re-
spects, is in danger of appearing behind the
gratings of court for criminals; senti-
ment may spare him the indignity. but
the wrongs Of sufferers by his bunglug
way push him TO the last thrust Of law and
vengeance. That much maversatiOn Of
funds went on in connection with the
Panama canal scheme nobody can doubt.
Brides were around like flies in the cir.
al nd sffS
Gals are involved. The canal will never be
made. All is swindle in the miserable en-
terprise. But the exposure OF the swindle
is too much for official France. To wreck
the Ministry is perhaps nothing. But TO
wreck all the material for future ministries
makes the mare go" is too naked when sp-
piled to the governing heart Of a country.
The friends of the Manchester canal have
had curious experience. They may al
most compare themselves to the Panama
canal inves tors, but while the Panama
canal project fails that Of Manchester will
be carried through to success but at much
unestimated cost The prospect of cana
forty miles in length from the sea was
intended to discount LiverpooPs dockage
and railroad charges on commodities neces.
sary to manufacture. A good idea truly &c
render an inland town in fat country q
seaport But the cost is tremendous. The
engineers sadly miscalculated the charges
of the contractors. A few weeks
ago the corporation of Manchester voted a
subscription Of ten million dollars Toward
canal construction, and the adjoining Dor
ough of Stafford five million dollars.
Another cotton town has voted two and a
hall million dollars, and so the construction
of the canal has been guarantee d, The
directorate of the canal has been modified
to suit these corporation investments. The
grand point is that the canal will be made
Liverpool will suffer. but the general
commerce of the country will gain by the
change. Some day the navigation of canals
will be understood in the valleys OF
California. They need not be costly, hut
they may be very profitable in competition
with railroads.