The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-07

- 1tfeet1rT merely. an6 zz9E EDz<s1at0Fv-
The Fesso31szs snvs<@s tte familiar
rzAs 81 a&H. zss2f ssafatss tertlTg - lassa2t
esslz@a = tns slgaz - xose s1ss4sG -
ssnsrssv construed * ~ Aver. sn1 sx-
esssseas shsea sxeiE1s a ozaso< Aae3As -
r@styscEs1 rafseF Eaaa sxts1c%G- 80 ss %
asrs1t TIE b&slSt = AS sg.Fit sfes AE.ssss-
flsa Of fAs saN - nes qsoszfsf Iszs sss@s
srssscigse - sn5os 5se5sY a0Frecss axs1 ~e
hase gsseE & g proper zpSss1arsoz "a tsss
sssso@stloss tfsAS Gas os~3 made % rs
TART csass Of Safssas. aOoys referred 20
bsst Il emExsof De acpi.e1 90 those eos IN
Ger Gems. 1eFsisoE-
re snea41 Be borne So ns&nt that the
form o. bass0z Ehsc1 - Dsace6 10 ne fand
o. fas se.es Wh~n he goes 20 the polls q
sab.1c properly. IL doss not belong 20 TIE
voter. b. 70 TIRE DaD.@s- The voter % su-
fhorixsz4 aIsa permitted % make q ssrp.e
mark QD0s thst na45os "a = particular
pace. ae IL hot assfasrxed or EevnzS led
% nzake 2sT other kidd o. mark Upon the
sazs0. nor 90 maze any marx a. al III
Authorized place. Whs1essr ke aoeN AFT
Of scese things he fFegpaSses EgoA the
properly % ne pucltc arr does az gEstas-
IA scs. and thst. too. ~ set wAaen = pst-
HnaasF calculated - defeat the waoss ssE-e-
r. a. purpose Of tie e.scx11G law.
-~TEs xsa1ase grovi5eN. - effect. tia; The
sefirg shat Be b. ballot. and "a no b1s-
lot shs.l esazasn arg csxsing4lssins marx
II tbs Csss0x does enn tain a distinguishing
mark il RAY well DC argued thar i ceases
70 oe ballot al az. and - Therefore 10
vote. The secrecy o. ths ea-l0t = 20 b
pTeserved. ard itx eaaxsqnsnf fFes4om and
parity maintained. tae lax f5rg.Gsing dis
tinE1ishl1x mark s. seems - me. DIss
~ enforced II would hardly 5e possible
20 enfGrcs 3 law * snis kind by means u
penal preNsAiynH directed against ire vot-
eF hiwsef. beoagss the very safeguards
whseh tire i2x thF3ws arosand the acts %
me voter n prsQaring his ballot . pre-
serve ~ secrecy, operate effecfas4.y as
bar 20 th& slse0gsry of any un.awfai
r1zrtssx upon bis part Hence Il soul4
seem ;fai the orziy rafsonal mode % snsoFc-
iag such as ei@ctien scheme ia 10 reject
ard refuse 20 eVanf cry ballot containing
81 un1awfu' or unauthorized marx. prob
ably calculated % sefEe as = Distinguish
sn~ marx
As against this contention e Is argued
on Ehe her side that 70 exclude ard re-
fass 10 count ballots o. this character vii
8ssfaees3E@F1V feFgt IN dAsfrasseHaslng
many an honest voter. and II Il sioGaently
argued that the poor man. however INTEL
liseaf o. careful he may be. waoss whole
time Is taken w Ia the struggle for ex-
tztsnce. ard tn maintaining himself and
family. has no time 70 devote 20 study
Of the las sufficient 20 enable him 20 vote
under this new system. without making
mistakes. and because OF the fact that a
names from his ballot with q lead pencil
and permitted him 20 make cross either
before or after ire names Of a candidate
that such marks AZ least ought % be ad-
mitted as 1anocentiy made. and not In
tended or designed as distinguishing
marks. This argument Il not without a
certain degree 81 FEASIBILITY. but on the
- -
no one II more interested In preserving the
secrecy The freedom and the purity Of the
ballot than the honest poor man. He can
not AFFORD % have bis ballot nsIiiaed by
one that may be purchased or Influenced
~ intimidation. Ia order 20 prevent this
~ should be willing 20 make. - necessary.
some Sigh, sacrifice. But after al. !
fh!fk no one ran be fornd 50 poor or 80
busy as not 20 be able 20 devote the time
necessary % understand the very simple
method OF voting provided b. the present
statute.
'~Fhe only safe course for IN. court 70
follow f. % bear IN mind the presumption
that every man knows the law. and the
Law that was iB force two years ago. but
which has since been repealed Is. IN Legal
contemplation, absolutely dead and OF no
effect OF virtue Whatsoever. The court
can no more indulge the presumption that
two years ago. bat s. since repealed. than
81 can presume that law that existed
twenty years ago has been followed By
ths voter.
"The changes made IN our statute By the
legislature - iss5. in my Judgment. mani
fees q clear intention 20 preserve by every
prac3.eabie means. the secrecy ~ the bal
Tor. and to thls end. 20 prevent everything
In the nature % distinguishing mark. I
need Only eaN attention 20 a few OF the
principal changes evidently looking % this
ard. IN ire former law the voter was a.
lowed 70 place hfs cross either before or
after tAe nsuc az a candidate. while un-
ter ihe present ia@ De can only place u
uttEF oF 20 she rtEhf of such name Tn
Ger fho former }a~ he was farbssssn 70
place any t'FtnFu'shtrs marx upon ira
exterior ~ hls ballot under the new law
"a 3isiin8utsain- 1arh upon ne face 81 a
baliot ~ anS anrr ~ it. - equally a V.o~
lat5an cf the ststa-f Under fhe former
.aw ne wss alioze5 % erase names ard 10
vr3ts certain words apan thc p2Hog Al
thesr Things Hre uoN fgThif1cu except che
writing II iac naure cf an additional can
diaf@ p place upor tAe 58lloi especially
provided therefor
Starting oat from the legal presurnp-
iiaa That every nasn knows the isS. and
remembering that this means the living,
actual isw that e lu force today. onEy one
cancinsi0a can he arrived az "a regard 20
the marking 90 fhe ballots in question
namely That the voter deliberately and
wtfsny tftspassea ueen fhe property q
the aaaHe ty making ii'eEai and snanth-
eflEef narks ueaa the blank fern %
ba]tot fss-lsre,i 20 hln. and that. too.
- ssbcG marks as are naturally caIclsiatsd
80 GisttnEr ga ths ba}loi from others. aHi
eas Therefor 3lrecfiy aut wff1ily VIC
lated tha express provisions % The stat
use regu. s..nx the manner ~ voting.
That c5ass at rE or uuan ahtea q an
pears probable teFt che veftr has male
. c~ass ~ thr erenF psar-. ~ mistake.
aaa then has r1tesvared Pc rcvsr Il I'D
3ns obscure &c ty lesA seucu marks. fur
utsh some rlRus-h'e Er1cHA FOR coasecsura
that the usa ut p-tHel marks we're made
snnaeenttv Rad ~ mistake. yet & -lus.
~. rs7-,~rr Asref that IRE stssute 81 grossly
.,-sxa,fs~ Ter cases - 'h's k{n6 sna allows
th@ voter Whenever ne has SPOT 81 ne
Axff.rs ~ tsgNfake - ratnFu 81 10 TIE
.Tsxea sra rrf arnthsr Hence, = seems
=, r.e. m s,~esu-upsisa % tnnocense can De
tufafrpa anssy such circumstance.
ssrs seems hardly possible 20 fATow cut
any hsffofs because - afstfnE ffisairss~
rra~ks ua'ess al - these snder consider
stsse should ~ rwsected. Il voter ear
write urcn hf- ballot TIE wo-s ''rsts."
srs - r,errsit;ct. under TIRE law. 60 hav.
- .-su-,~ss. y wcuis fcllosE that - ruighf
,afrt rt,s. his hAitas thc picture a. a TRt.
or anv obscene psftu~e. Or ruigNt r1a@e
ur.sr, 10 anv rivgft, stxn O. syFrSol o. he
r.rsvrhfs- character Whatsoever On ere
ether haua II ~ SAced not ee per~u tted
70 write the wort rats" upo- SIS eAflcs
vshv .hasila Ne - allowed to write any
etAer wcr8 except alone she name - a