The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1893-07-20
a.z HUNDRED Ythrs 4co.


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f.ty Ei.ttjou> Ia fiurtntc.
-.a~a.lsts Waea almost al '.e M
to- 4 IL World are tH-a4--.s H.
aaaF f5aa 81 the australian beI,pt -f=.#fa
T. =. Iff.e rralize that -uoa i4 .4- ~
Il = n ae& - they seem. Wei NJ
= el.=.Hfi. ago II the city # FlfsHsz
81. 5rzalzed system If voting re-aiil-
- III - e-9ential principles tie oa.lat
recently aa9,fad. Thu is not mor- Aear-
say either Tor historian who lived At
that tIne, Giovanni VILLAIN, has lfyen L.
full account Of 1t.
The city Of Florence had begun to tire
Of the arro.aace and bribing methods Il
the mobiles about the year l32-, SO II Dc
clded to pass law by which fair elee-
tions might be held The city was gov
erned by six prior, elected for a term
OF two months. Now, It was decided ~
an assembly that these pri9r-, together
with two persons selected from each q
the six districts of Florence, should come
together and make a list If all the citi-
zens more than 30 years Of age IN Flor
enee that were at all worthy If the Office
of prior.
This list was then presented TO a eoun-
ell of 81 Of the principal officers and
wise men Of the city. who voted On
each name separately. The votes were
collected by SIX wise and discreet
monks They consisted Of white and
black beans, and it took G. black beans
to elect candidate The counting was
done secretly in a neiehboring room by
the monks, and the result was iuihedl-
ately announced To the assembly, vie
proceeded 10 vote on the next name.
When the whole list had thus been
gone through, all those who We're elect
ed had their names written together
on a large scroll and also each name
written separately on little slip. These
little slips were thrown into bag And
then comes quaint custom. The large
scroll was kept in the sacristy Of the
convent of the Frati Predicatori.
The bags, one for each Office in the
government, were put in strong chest
that WAS locked, and the three keys thai
could open it We're given, one 10 Frat
Converse ii Settlmo one to the captain
or general of the Florentine army an
one to the sacristan of the Frati Minor
The chest itself was stored in the sacristl
of the latter monks.
1t is seen how religiously all bribery
and ballot box stuffing was stopped. y,
Florentine, no matter how much h'
hated the monks. would dare to COMM
such crime III the sacrlsty of church
He did not feel anxious to be burning il
hell fire after he died. But to 20 o.
with the election, for as yet no ofiee
had been elected, he had only been de
clared eligible to the Office.
} When election time came around, til
thirteenth day of every other month, til
priors, with the general council of tn
people, would assemble and cause tn
chest to be brought forth. Then, in til
presence of the entire assembly the bag
containing the slips were taken ont, an,
after being carefully mixed one slip wa
taken out from each, and the perso
whose name was on that slip was dc
clared elected Thus an entirely ney
set of officers was chosen every time.
This mode of election, VILLAIN tells us
twas ratified in full parliament in tn
place of the priors where many peopl
wero congregated and where man
speeches were made, praising the lay
and condemning to severe punishment
those who might oppose it And We
we say socialism is essentially thing o
the present century Chroni
le-Telegraph.