Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-11-17
The Australian Ballot Law Farce

The recent election held in this coun.
~ shows more plainly thIn ever that the
so-callsd Australian ballot system is but
farce. Instead Of beins secret as it i.
iDteAded it should be the alleged secrecy
is but sham. the plan Of voting. count
ing the votes and ascer;aining the result,
Of an election only additional means ad
ded to the old plan Of doing such things,
Of confusing the voter, and the election
officers.
The main object Of the law as gather
ed FROM its language. is to secure abso.
lutte fairness IN An election, l,y securing
90 the voter the means by which he can
east his ballot acsurding To his best judg-
nent free from undue influences, aad
further TO throw around the ballots after
being east such safeguards as will per
NIT the arriving at the result with per-
feet accuracy. Our election law-so-
called Australian ballot las. possesse,
no such admirable features. How the
voter marks his ticket is as open to OBJ
servstIou as before, and the manner of
the count instead of being better protect.
ed from fraud and error. is more sus-
septlbie to both than before.
The voting booth is required to be in
sight aud while the voter is expected to
turn his ba,k to the election officials and
me ehallengers, at the same time his
every movement is 10 full sight. and the
manner Of marking his ticket can aud is
easily detected by the watchers present
the accredited representative of The
political parties most interested.
And the count: The chalIengers are
allowed te be presen' to witness it, but
what is their position in the room out
aide the guard rail. They can hear
from their distant position in the room
the reading of the names upon the ticket,
but they cannot serutinize the correction
ct the tally kept by the tally clerks
DlshOnorable or incompetent tally clerk.
San keep the tally as they please or in
their Ignorance or stupidity commit gross
errors, which would take vast amount
Of labor AMI trouble to correct. Under
the old syste.4 their tally could be care
fully scrutinixed by any one who felt an
interest in the election and wrong de-
sected at once or an error corrected forth
with. but now a contest or some other
trOublesomeand vexation proceeding must
be res,rted to OF the cleo ion become an
abortion.
An illustration Of this f,ct is proven
BY the returns from the Fifth Election
District Of this county The tally kept
by the clerks of the election held at sb 1t
= is 10 such .hs.s : TO nd e &, "a =
doubt of errors having been Commute
and the voters are left to 20 redress bur
contest Of some sort. The tally Of the
clerks, who are the proper officials to
know the vote cast and their record is
the only proof under the law 10 be rec
sgniSed. shows the candidates on the
Republican and Democratic tickets re-
eeived certain majnritios. when the GER
ti6eate III ,de by the julgrs aud returned
BY them as part Of the ele,tion telurns
from the district show different result
Which is correct, no one can tell But
the rerord of the tally clerks must be ac-
septej as the true returns, and if wrong
contest or ajndicial investigation mus
determine. In the meanwhile persons
not elected may &C as public Off 'ials
he election machinery as now ma1'
Up is wrong in principle. and pugnaciou
m results aud the quicker repealed
the better. and until it is done public
confidence will not he restored as to thu
fairness of elections in thi
State. To remedy til,
wrong complained Of will be good tasl
for those whoever they may BE-. wh'
represent this county in the next legisla
tnre.