The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-07-04
HOLD FAST THE GOOD.

HOLD FAST THE GOOD.
The people of Indiana will do well to
ponder on the following declaration of
the republican convention of Allen
county:
While cordially indorsing the prin-
ciple of a secret ballot, we demand such
a modification of cur election laws as
will enable the voter of reasonable intel
ligence TO cast a ballot that shall be
counted. We point to the fact that the
returns of our spring elections in the
cities of the state show that nearly, if
not quite. per cent. Of the voters were
diSfranchised by failure TO understand
the method of voting. Heretofore dis
reimbursement has been the penalty for
criminal conduct; we protest against 1t
as a penalty for those unable to under
stand the intricacies of our election law.
Here is the basis Of a new assault on
the Australian ballot law. which the re-
publicans have never ceased to hate
since 1t put an end to Dudley methods
in Indiana elections. They have opposed
1t on the ground that 1t was cumber-
some; that it was expensive; that it pro-
NOTED fraud. These grounds have all
been abandoned from necessity. The
new system found favor with the people
from the start, and it was impossible to
make honest men Of any political party
disbelieve the testimony of their own
minds. And not only did the people of
Indiana approve of this law. but also
people of other states who were DESTROYS
of securing purer elections. A number
Of the other states have adopted the In
diana system almost verbatim, and in
the states that adopted other variations
of the Australian law every movement
the Indiana system. AS it stands today
our law is as nearly perfect as an cleo
ton law can be made. with the possible
exception of a mode of machine voting.
The objection raised by the Allen coun-
ty republicans is simply another form of
assault on the system. 1t is another eff
fort TO break down the reform and re-
turn the state to the old and corrupt
system which the ignorant voter could
understand thoroughly when the price
was paid. No voter in Indiana need
make any mistake in voting IL he desires
to understand the method. and if for lack
of ability to read or from any disability
he cannot mark his ballot he can have
it marked by the election clerks. The
made by the uneducated. They are made
by smart people who think they know
it all. and who resent any attempt at in
struction as an insult. The experience
of election officials everywhere verifes
this statement. The law is simple
enough and plain enough, and the in
structions issued at every election. by
the political parties and by the election
boards, are so explicit that no one need
make any mistake if he will take the
trouble to read them.
The evident fact is that the republican
leaders are bitterly hostile to every dem
ocratic reform that has been adopted in
the past six years. They assault the tax
law in their present state platform, and
the republican press opposes every effort
to enforce that law by securing the fair
assessment Of the property of corpora
tons They assault the state board of
charities law under the pretense Of want
ing ''non-partisan administration of the
benevolent Institutions" They assault
the school book law in their demand for
free school books. They assault the fee
and salary law directly on the charge
that it is unfair and unjust to officials.
Every step Of progress that has been
made by Indiana in these six years has
been fought by the republican party. and
is now fought by it. If we have the mis-
fortune to have a republican legislature
in this state it may be depended upon to
make such notifications of all these
laws as will destroy their present effect