Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-08-04

4, = time when everything relsssng TO the
secyef ballot by the Australian or other
sysssms IL Of great interest to the pnble
mind, and when transition in our ballot Laws
il taking place, IL Is curious to note the BE-
ginnings Of tbs system of written ballots BY
the American colonies This subject has
been treated at much length by Mr.. Doug
Las Campbell in hi. new work on The
Puritan 10 Holland, England and America,
ja.t pubiiss-d by Harper 6 BfosheFs'
New York, in which the author
shows how the written secret ballot
vas introduced into the American colonies
The first trace Of il has been found IN the
historic city Of Embden, 40 familiar to all
Eny,i.h puritans Its earliest employment
apfsar. 70 have been under an ordinance
i,sued s,y the Coun. Of the Province 10
1896. which provided very intricate
method Of choosing burgomasters and
COUNSELLOR. The whole body of bdrghsrs
srxt ,ele,.,e.i forty men 10 act a. a kind OF
electoral college, AMI these forty chose
Ave Of their number by lot, who, by means
Of a written ballot selected nine others,
who in turn. and also By written ballot
selected double number Of candidates
from whom the Count chose the magistrates
for the coming year. Thi. eumberous
.y.tem .oon gave way to one much more
simple
Mr.. Campbell says t at there is no dim
ealty In tracing the origin of the system
which was first introduced into New Eng
land. in the Netherlands, a. in America
the first use Of the secret written ballot
seems to have been in the Reformed
churches where the people elected their own
ministers and officers. The earliest
appearanre of this system, of
which Mr.. Campbell says he has
found any trace, is in the Provincial
SYNOD held at Olkmear, North Holland in
1873. The president and secretary of that
synod for the year 1914 were elected by
this process. shortly afterwards the same
system wa. found prevailing in South iioi-
land Friesiand, Guelderapd, and, IN fact
over the whole republic, not only IN ecei-
eslastjr synosis but for the election of minis
tiers. elders. and deacons in the caivin'siic
churches.
In America tn. written ballot first appears
in the election of a minister for the church at
Salem, Mass. in 1923. There were two
candidates for Oh. position Of minister one,
Mr. Skelton, was pronounced separatist he
fore having England the other, Mr.. liig-
giuson had never got beyond non-conform-
ity. The congregation selected Mr.. Skei-
ton, n-lng for his election the system pre-
yailing in the Netherland churches, Of which
fact few of them could have been in igno-
rance
The next appearance of the written bat
lot was IN the election of governor for the
colony of Massachusetts, bay in 1874. John
Winthrop. after four years of service as
governor hal become unpopular and had
a rival for hi. Office in the person
of Thomas Dudley who had been an officer
in the Dutch army. In this vote, as IN the
case of the Salem church. the Netherland
system was adopted, and by its secrecy It's
use did much to avoid the ill-fecling en-
gentlered by an open vote Dudley was
elected over his competitor by what vas
called al the time rottag papers. In the
following year the colony provided by
statute. that rating p1pers should there
after be used in the election of chief mag
istrates."