The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-02-19

cratic candidates In one column, ths rspub-
lioans In asother. and 90 ON. In prssidsn-
sial elections the names Of ths cssdidstes
may be printed with those OF ths electors
In ths respective columns, A. \ guide TO th,
voters. Representative fcharnikov has
proposed IN amendment which has not yet
bssn acted on, and which IL intended 10
make the ballot conform 10 tho idea
advanced BY Judge W.. H. Hunt about The
time the Legislature met. IL also provides
for grouping the candidates In columns
according TO their politics. but 10 not re-
garded - being quite ~ simple In design
as that In the printed bill. The surnsmss
OF the candidates for president and vice.
president, with their politics, are TO lead
the columns devoted to their party. On
tho right. In the Hunt ballot, there 10 q
square blank space whore the voter may
mark bis choice. "and." the amendment
reads. mo other clear margin or space
shall bo loft In any such
group Of candidates for sleotors."
In other words. there can be NO dividing up
between electors for president and vice.
president. A person mnst vote for all the
democratic electors. or oil the republican
electors. or all those Of some other party,
according to his choice. The columns de-
voted to each party are to be arranged In
whatever order the secretary OF state shall
direct, precedsncs being given to the one
which pollsd the highest number Of votes
for the head Of the ticket At tho preceding
general election, and 30 on. In the original
bill amendments to the constitution are 10
be on the regular ballot. In the amend
ment of Representative soharnikow all
suoh outside questions are to be on sepa-
rate ballots. The ballot being simplihod,
tho thing of next Important il 70 have the
manner OF marking simpliisd. In the
original bill and in the amendment a
blank space IL provided alongside tho
name Of each party At the head of the
ballot. II Il man desires to vote a straight
ticket he puts a CROSS mark in
this space and doesn't have to bother about
individuals. That mark votes for every
candidate in that column. But il il ID not
desired to vote a straight ticket. the oriei-
nal bill provides that tho voter must mark
a GROSS opposite the names OF all the candi-
dates of his choice. The amendment. on
the Hunt idea. 10 somewhat more difficult
TO understand. II provides the following
rules for marking: For a straight ticket a
cross mark in the square space at the head
OF the ticket. or the same mark to the right
OF every individual candidate In the column
below. In cases Of presidential elections.
when tho voter desires to vote for only part
OF the electors of his party he must make
the usual mark opposite the group, and
then erase the name of the one he desires
not to vote for. Then, If he desires to vote
for some other candidate for elector he
must write the nsme of his choice IN
the blank space at the end of the
coup and put q separate cross
mark opposite. The Hunt plan further
provides that II the voter desires to "mix'
bis ticket. he can do so in either of these
ways: Omit making q GROSS mark in the
square space st the head Of the ticket, and
mark the cross opposite each candidate; OF
hs may make the CROSS at the head of She
column at the party ~dssignotion, some of
whose candidates he desires to vote for. and
then make a GROSS behind the name of spy
candidate of any other party for whom he
desires to vote, in which case tho mark at
the head of the column votes for everybody
in that column. except for such offices for
which candidates are marked In other col.
umns. Most Of the members are disposed
10 look upon this plan a. equally as cum
bsrsome and misleading as the present bal
lot. and are disposed to favor the simple
system provided for in the original bill;
either . mark at the head of a column for
q straight ticket. or the omission of this
and the marking of individual o%andidatss
whore ii il desired TO vote 4 straight ticket.
The other important thing in connso ton
with the election system Of the state is to
provide some plan Of registration that
will save the voters in the country districts
travelling great distances TO get their
names on the voting list, and then having
to make the same trip over again to cast their
ballots. The registration bill now pending
proposes TO remedy this by having the reg
istration begin the twentieth day before
election and continuing until tho seventh
day before election. Tbs members from
the country districts see little relief in this.
They must either make the usual two trips,
or sleep for a week at the place of registra-
ton. Several suggestions were made whom
the bill was NJ last week to avoid the trou-
BILE complained Of. One was that q man
who registers once and continues to reside
ana vote in the same precinct. shall not be
required to register again. Another was to
have the registration agents move around
from one precinct to another for the ac-
c~ommodation of voters. The one propos.
ing only one registration wisely excludes
districts near cities and railroads from its |
provisions. The matter has boon put in
the hands of three members from districts
representing the kind of constituency de-
sired to be benefited. and something may
BE- devised that will meet the requirement..
The house of representatives will get
down to regular night sessions with the Sc
ginning of tho coming week and will keep
1T up to the end Of the session. II il a case
OF absolute necessity. The calendar of the
house contains no less than a hundred bills
that have to be disposed of in committee of
the whole. enRrossed and put on their third
reading and final passage. In this list are
several special orders which will take up
considerable time. The house has wisely
shown q disposition recently to cease max
ing special orders under any circumstances,
but TO insist that bills now on tho calendar
must come up for consideration in turn. 1t
must be remembered that the bills, after
they pass the house, must take their regu-
lar course in the senate. and there are but