Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-25
The Imperfections Of the Plan.


The City Democratic Committee chose
til, viva voce system OF voting for our
primary election In preference to the Sc
cret ballot so that no excuse should be
afforded even the most querulous man to
bring the count In question.
In this the committee was clearly right,
but unfortunately in the plan adopted the
language used is by no means explicit.
SO far from II. after providing In the
most unmistakable terms for the viva
voce system Of voting for candidates for
the House, the plan turns Its back upon
the viva voce system-turns Its back
when It comes TO describe how the char
ter amendments shall be voted for. This
fault should be corrected. All the voting
should be viva voce That was the unde
niable purpose of the committee. and the
language of the plan should conform to
this purpose.
But there is still another trouble-a
serious tropble--which II not removed
may cause the results OF the primary
to be questioned This is the require
ment that all unscratched charter amend
ments shall be counted as having been
voted for. Here-though not so Intended
a distinct advantage is given to the advo-
Gates Of these amendments. since hun
dreds Of men will carelessly prepare their
tickets.
Chairman Dawson proposes a partial
remedy for this evil when he suggests
that the Judges Of election shall be in
structed to ask the voter. in cases where
the amendments are unscratched, II he
wishes to vote for or against the amend
ments; but why should the committee
content itself with halfway measures?
Instead of adopting a partial remedy,
why not adopt complete remedy? Why.
indeed
See how easy II would be to perfect the
plan in this particular. AT the foot or
the official ballot will appear the follow
ing list OF titles of offices as to which
charter amendments are proposed, and the
plan asks the voter TO erase the names
Of those offices as to which he desires
no change To- be made:
Board Of Fire Commissioners.
|
Chief Of Fire Department.
Chief Of Police.
City Attorney.
City Engineer.
Police Justice.
Superintendent Of Almshouse.
Superintendent Of Gas-Works.
Superintendent Of WaterWorks.
The voter may have his mind bent upon
striking out one particular office. and
having struck this out he may not read
through the rest OF the list. But no mat
ter. the plan requires the Judges to count
all the unscratched offices in the
affirmative In other words. the indiffer-
| ence or inadvertence Of the voter Is to be
| counted as a vote In the affirmative.
| 1t is bad plan. The committee should
alter II at once. The public was led to
| believe that the committee would give an
AYE" and may vote on each of the ten
amendments. and this expectation ought
| to be fulfilled. And the way TO do this
| Is easy. Let there be no striking out at
| all Of the charter amendments; but let
each voter write at the end OF each Office
yes OF mo: yes to mean that he
wishes the charter changed as to that
office, no to mean that the voter does not
wish the charter changed as to that
| office
Such a plan as this would compel each
voter to give some thought to the duty
before him. since 1t would require him 70
| consider whether he would write "yes''
or mo" after each Office named on the
! list.
The City Committee ought not to take
the risk Of holding primary election
under an imperfect plan. There's no tell
Ing what trouble 1t may thus bring upon
the party. III short, our people want a
perfect plan. and this is what they are
asking for through the Dispatch.
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