Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-05
A NEW ELECTION LAW
A Fair Ballot and an Honest Count for the
Old Dominion.
Gen. Malone Speaks Of the Work Of
the Recent Non-Partisan Com
vention at Petersburg.

Gen. VIM. Malone, chairman of the state
republican committee Of Virginia, has
spent the past week at his home In Peters,
| burg, where. Thursday evening, there was
| held a convention for the purpose Of TAX
ing some action in regard to proposing q
new election law for the old dominion. The
convention adopted a new election law,
| which it is proposed by Virginia fepubli-
cans to make the one issue of their next
political campaign.
The convention was rot partisan, as
| there were republicans, populists and some
democrats present. Speaking of the work
Of the convention and the proposed cleo
ton law to a Star reporter today Gen. Ma
hone said:
The Existing Law.
Before I undertake to give synopsis
Of this proposed law. it is proper that
| briefly state what the existing election law
| is, and it is this:
"A democratic caucus of democratic
| legislature appoints three men, all demo-
Gratis, of each county and city Of the state,
as an electoral board fer the same, and
these boards are amenable to no power or
supervision. There is no appeal from any
of their acts and no remedy for any wrong
| they may do. These boards appoint and
| for each of the two thousand voting pre-
cincts Of the state, and the apponitees are
all democrats; and these electoral boards
likewise appoint and replace at will three
| judges Of election for each precinct all
democrats, save and except here and there
where they choose to select some fellow
who can be used.
1.-The ballot now required is a mere abor.
| ton of the Australian ballot. The blind
and illiterate voter must call on demo-
cratic constable to prepare his ticket.
IT shall not discuss what may be done I'M
der such a machinery. much less what has
been done in the way Of crooked work
results and returns. Certain 1t is that
widespread discomfort prevails in the state
of the existing law. In word, 1T is
claimed that the people really have no say
as to who shall hold any elective office
from constable to governor inclusive; and
now as to the law which a non-partisan
conference presents. The conference sub
hitting the proposed law, I am advised,
was composed Of representative men from
all parts Of the old commonwealth, and
that their action was purely governed by
| desire to secure such law as would guar
entee a non-partisan execution OF 1t, and
to every constitutional elector of the state
the unhindered right to register and the
Cnhindered right to vote, and have his vote
canvassed, counted and returned as cast.
We have carefully examined this law, and
1t impresses US as non-partisan all the way
through; that it guarantees fair play and
honest elections.
The New Election Law.
1.-The law creates an electoral board for
each city and county Of the state. to be
composed of those persons to be appointed
! by the Judge of the corporation and county
| courts-one to be taken from the demo-
/ cratic party. one from the republican party
| and one from the populist party-and these
! persons so appointed to be one or the other
of two or more persons who shall be recon-
! mended to the judge by the respective
| chairmen of the three political parties
named.
"These boards so appointed are to ap-
| point board of registrars for each pre-
cinct in their respect tive corporations and
counties, to be composed OF one democrat,
| enc republican and one populist. and the
| persons selected are to be taken from lists
| submitted by the chairmen of each po-
litical party fer the corporations and coun-
| ties, and so, likewise, board of Judges OF
! election is in the same manner to be ap-
| pointed for such election precincts. The
| members of both of these boards are to be
| electors of the precincts for which they are
| appointed. The clerks of these rwo toards
| are to be electors OF the precincts for which
appointed. and they are to be of the
| political party which is in minority
| no minority by a majority selection.
| In addition to such provisions for
| fair play and honest results, each political
party running candidates for office IS en-
1
party for each election precinct, who shall
| have admfttance to the polling place, when
| the board of judges enter the same and
who shall enjoy the absolute freedom OF
the polling place and the right to overlook
! everything done therein They are de-
nominated Supervisors" The tickets to
| be used at every election are to be official
| tickets, either supplied by the secretary of
| the commonwealth or the electoral boards,
| depending upon the electorate concerned IN
| the election, If only corporation or
| county, or Jointly by a corporation and
| county, or Jointly by two counties, then by
| the electoral boards thereof. in other cases
by the secretaries of the commonwealth,
| but in all cases care is taken to have the
] electors entitled to vote, to know what the
| ticket Is.
The Form of Ticket.
'The ticket in form is an honest illustra-
| ton of the Australian ballot 1t provides
| as many separate columns for each party's
] candidates as there are parties participant
| ing in the election. and one like column for
] independents. Each column is headed with
| the name Of the party-democratic ticket,
! republican ticket, populist ticket and SO on
| to the last column which is headed lnde-
| pendents-and at the head Of each column
| there is a Designations star at the head
| of the democratic ticket, an eagle at the
| head of the republican, and SO on-and be-
meath the heading of each column there is
! q circle, one and a half inches In diameter,
| and all the elector mas TO do TO vote eltner
| of the tickets Is to make a cross mark x In
| the circle at the head of the ticket he
| wishes to vote. Due provision is made for
| scratching any name in the ticket which
| the elector desires to vote and the sub
| stitution of another name At every poll
| the result is to be openly announced after
| the poll is closed and before the officers of
| the poll leave the polling place.
Every provision which seems necessary
! to secure the proper return of the vote cast
| is provided. Where any elector requires
| help to make out his ticket, he has the
right to cali on either of the supervisors
| of the poll to aid him. Such is a synopsis
! of the salient features of the proposed law.
| wherein every possible detail for the ac-
| curate and faithful compliance with the
same seems to have been well considered,
| and it seems to US that none other than
| fair bipartisan registration and an
| honest election can be had. 1t impresses
Is that it is precisely such law as ought
| to challenge the open, earnest and active
| support of all men of all parties who would
| conceds to the masses Of the people the
| fnalienable right of voice in all elections,
who would concede that the people have
| the right to say who shall be their con-
| stable or governor-who. in fact, believe In
| a republican form of government-who be-
lieye in honest elections"