The record-union., 1892-03-09
SUCCESS OF THE ELECTION sYs-
TEN.

TEN.
Yesterday for the second time the new
ballot law was tested in Sacramento. 1t
proved completely successful. Ninety
nine out of every one hundred voters who
went to the polls yesterday came away
praising the law and expressing con
gratulations that at last they were en-
abled to cast a perfectly secret ballot, and
be free from the opportunities Of ticket
peddlers, the triekery of the vicious and
the domination of browbeaters.
In most Of the fifteen precincts the pro-
visions Of the law were observed with
fair strictness. In two or three there was
some Indifference on the part of the
judges in calling back the ballot num-
bers, and receiving an audible response
from the ballot clerks. In several of the
precincts there were no separate exits
provided, and in two the election boards
reversed the proper order, which requires
the Ballot Clerks to be placed at the en-
trance to the voting inclosure. In both
these cases, when attention was called to
the error, it was promptly corrected; and
when objection was raised to the failure
to announce the ballot number, compli-
ance with the law followed, except in one
case, where the requirement received lit
tie attention.
IN the two cases of misplacing the Bal
lot Clerks, the voter after receiving his
ballot had to pass out into the crowd and
cross the voting line in order to reach the
ballot-box, manifest impropriety,
which, however, was soon put a stop to.
The intent Of the law is that the voter
shall enter the inclosure to receive his
ballot. and from that time until his vote
is cast that he shall come liz contact with
no one except the election board, and
shall not leave the inclosure with a ballot.
1t is worth while TO call attention to
these matters now, that at The general
election next fall these errors may be
avoided. But the system proved its high
value yesterday, and demonstrated that
1t is the nearest approach yet made to the
ideal method OF obtaining free. full and
unobstructed expression Of the viii of the
people. If the sentiment and wishes of
the voters Of Sacramento reflect the iudg-
ment of the people of California when
next the Legislature meets and it is fair
10 assume that the system in other places
fairly tried viii produce like Judgment
then the new ballot law is safe from sue
cessful legislative assault, and the pur-
pose of the tricksters in politics to work
its repeal viii meet with complete dis
com6ture.
There were some votes lost yesterday
because voters Used a pencil to mark the
ballot instead of the official stamp. But
no law can give ignorant and stupid men
intelligence, and any attempt to do so
win be farcical. So, too, there were num-
bers who falsely took the oath that they
could not read and write, and thus Sc
cured the aid of the election officers to
mark their ballots. In every such case
of false swearing the officers chosen must
labor under the suspicion that it was a
case of a purchased vote, and that he in
structed the voter in way to enable him
TO deliver goods bargained for, and was a
party to the sale. But there were many
other cases of nliterates, where the oath
was true, and the assisting officer was
honest. This patent trick of vote buyers
was not worked much outside of a single
precinct.
The only way in which this device can
be defeated is by the adoption Of an
amendment to the Constitution. exclud-
ing from the polls those who cannot
read and write, excepting only those so
manned, or so blind that they cannot
mark their ballots. Next fail this pro-
posed new qualification will be submit
ted to the people, in order to advise the
Legislature in the premises.
But the ballot law is not responsible
for such cheating as the illiterate dodge
permits. Nor is it chargeable to the law
that stupid men mismark their ballots
The latter lose their votes, and in time
viii have it beaten into their minds by
experience, that refusal to obey the law
results only in the loss of their votes. In
other words, by next fall the voters viii,
with very few exceptions, understand
that they harm only themselves by their
laundering, and that conviction Will
bring them up to an understanding Of
the very simple method of correct voting.
It is, however, proper 10 add that there
was but little mismaking, when it is con-
sidered that over 5000 votes were cast.
There We're not probably over 100 o0llegally
marked ballots.