Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-11
BUNDAY.,....... NOVEMBER II, 1894.
The Australian Ballot In Virginia.

Az those precincts here and there
,hrouobout the State where numbers OF
ballots are reported 10 have been rejected
pn Tuesday last because OF faulty mark
ing there must have been many iliiterate
voters who refused TO avail themselves
of the aid Of the constable (wno Is the
ssbaIlot-reader" under our SYSTEM, or
there must have been many Intelligent
voters who had never read the new law.
nor what the newspapers had pubhsheu
IN explanation OF the laws provisions.
I'm either case the difficulty was not with
the law. but with the voter.
Here in Richmond there were very Few
imperfect ballots cast The Dispatch had
explained the provisions Of the law with
great persistency. giving probably fifty
columns Of space first and last to the
subject, and our voters had had many
years experience in their primary eiec-
tions with ticket Of the same character
ms that used last Tuesday. But we are
bound to say that when this ticket was
Crst introduced at our primary elections
hundreds OF them were faulty marked
and had to be rejected. Our voters learn
I'd from experience. and now find no
difficulty In preparing their tickets.
Our experience here ought to be encour-
aging to our country friends, especially
Of those precincts where It is said that
many Intelligent men" lost their votes
through mistakes made in the marking
Of the tickets. If the voters OF Rich
mond have learned 10 vote this sort OF
ticket with precision. surely the country
voters can DO so as well.
The fact Is that IN certain localities or
this State our party authorities and cleo
ton officers did not properly inform them
selves as to the requirements Of the
new law, Notwithstanding the fact that
they had every urging and opportunity
70 do go In the localities where the law
had been carefully studied. very few liter
ate men erred In marking their ballots.
or course there were Instances OF careless
ness eyerywhere-but IL Is ignorance Of
the law OF which we are now speaking.
There will be another opportunity TO
test our law In the county elections.
which will take place next spring. Then
there Will be dozens OF persons in each
county eager TO instruct the voters as TO
The requirements OF the law. for each
candidate wil OF course. aim to qualify
his supporters to vote correct ballots.
With the experience of last Tuesday
and that of next spring, We have every
reason TO expect that the Walton law will
become very familiar TO the people be-
fore II Is called into use in November,
1886. for the election of members of the
Senate and House of Delegates.
Considering the vicious attacks made
upon the Walton law and the aspersion
Of the motives OF the men who passed II,
the experiment with It last Tuesday was
wonderfully successful.
When the General Assembly comes to
review and revise the Walton law II
will be able 10 do so in the light OF three
elections. and win have ample informa-
ton before 1t to guide IT'S action. BY that
time. we doubt not. the Australian sys-
TEN will have become so familiar TO our
peOple--and its merits so well recog-
nized-that there will be general acqui-
essence In the law under which we fought
and won our brilliant victory last Tues
day.
We trust. too. that by the time that
the General Assembly meets the colored
men Of Virginia will become thoroughly
appreclative Of that feature OF the law
which relieves them OF the prying eyes
and venai plots OF those leaders Of theirs
who have heretofore put ballots into their
hands and stood by and seen 10 II that
they were voted. TO give The Republi-
cans Republican constable at each pre-
cinct would be 20 deliver the negro voter
into the hands of that constable-would
be TO commit the negro voter to a party
slavery worse than any that has hitherto
existed In this State or any other State.
However the General Assembly when ii
meets In 1885 will be fully competent to
cit In Judgment upon the Walton law.
We shall put our trust In II. That it
will do the right thing In the way Of
perfectlng our law We have no doubt
But We doubt II In any State the Au-
btralian-ballot system. upon its first trial,
has succeeded better than II has succeeded
here The systems prevailing In most
other States are the products Of repeated
experiences. The laws OF those States
have been perfected only after several
trials and after being subjected 10 much
criticism and ridicule. Mean while. we
cannot but praise a system under which
The Democrats OF Virginia won such a
conspicuous. glorious victory as that Of
la
carries you safely overs
FREQ Passes.