Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-15
sATURDAY...SEP 10, 1894.
Maine-The Australian Ballot.


The Republicans Of Maine have not yet
finished growing over the results OF the
elections OF last honday in that stat.
There was no occasion whatever for
alarm. but he proud satisfl ,tion Win
which they now shout out 70 all the
world that they carried a State which
everybody expected them to carry indi-
Gates that the Reeds and The Boutelies
were not overconhdcnt Of achieving
victory on this occasion. they admit ty
their present conduct that ii the Demo
Gratis OF the country are in any degree
surprised at the results in Maine last
Monday. the Republicans are eurprsod
20 greater degree. Mckinley was not
needed. but all the same he took the
stump for the Republican ticket and con-
.ributed as far as in him lay 10 tn sec
houalists' victory-for 1t is sectional
victory.
The notorious or well-known Manley,
he chairman Of the Republican state
Committee. has issued an address IN
keeping with the exultant demonstrations
IF his fellow Republicans in which adj
he votes had been counted as they were
Intended 10 be counted. the Republican
candidate for Governor would have been
elected by over forty thousand majority
instead OF by a majority OF only 3S42S
We cannot concede that in such State
u Maine a majority Of 1900 is any more
Iignihcant than a majority Of 5000
Nevertheless. the Republicans from Maine
20 California seem 10 be wild with JOY
They are glad" indeed. They rejoics
that they are alive and kicking Let
,hem rejoice Maine has long been cele-
brated for the manner in which she went
Tor Governor Kent.
But the chairman Of the Republican
state Committee has learned that the
ballot-Iaw OF Maine is not model sta
ute. The Republicans got more than
they bargained for when they undertook
10 reform the ballot in that State ac-
cording TO the improved Australian me
thod. II is amusing to read that in Au-
gusta Hon James W. Bradbury. eX-
United States senator, and Hon. Joseph
Il Williams. Ex-Governor, both had their
ballots thrown out because they had not
marked them In the right place What
an improvement upon the Virginia Wal
ZION law might not b. found in the Maine
election law? What chance would
.outhern negro have to mark his ticket
In the right place? Good or bad, this
Maine law mus, at once be so amended.
says Chairman Manley. that such mis-
haps as befel Messrs. Williams and Brad
bury cannot asain occur.
The law OF Maine does not provide for
any party embems to distinguish the
groups into which that law requires the
voters 10 he arranged. But the Australian
rule OF placing candidates names on the
ballot in alphabetical order under the
titles Of offices prevails in that State.
it thus appears that Virginia has wisely
"made haste slowly in u work Of
what is called ballot reform" \ new
law so frequently operates just exactly
AS 1t was not expected nor intended to
operate that we trust the Virginia Legis-
lature will "thnk twice before it sub
3-Cts our people TO any new laws on the
subject. The use Of blanket ballots seems
beyond "A doubt to cause the names at
the head OF the ballot to receive more
votes than the names nearer the foot Of
the same. Voters who are not in the
habit Of using pencils do not desire 10
begin the use Of them in a voting booth.