New-York tribune., 1896-11-15
VOTING BY MACHINERY.
.o,,C TRIALS MADE ON NOVEMBER 3
AND THEIR RESULTS.
.,.c4y1NEs or TWO DIFFERENT PATTERNS
SUCCESSFULLY OPERATED IN DIFFERENT
PARTS OF THE CoUNTRY-RoCHEsrER
AND WORCESTER DISSATISFIED
r-rrrI TIE SYSTEMS 1-11rn


AND WORCESTER DISSATISFIED
WITH THE SYSTEMS TRIED
The method Of voting has undergone many
changes since the foundation Of the Republic
and all innovations have been met with violent
and organized opposition. When the viva voce
r,e,hod was in vogue the physically powerful
,oter had the decided advantage over his timid
rschbor. and many Of the strong and independ-
.nt voters Of that time used all imaginable argu-
rsnts against the first reforms which provided
,or a written printed ballot. In connection
with the viva voce system. and to illustrate its
workings an incident in the career of the Justice
who ruled that the black man had no rights
which white man need respect is interesting.
Justice Taney, in speaking of his candidacy for
member Of the House Of Delegates from Calvert
County Maryland in 1799 said:
THE VIVA vOCE SYSTEM.
"The whole county voted at the Court House,
and the election lasted four days. The votes
uere viva voce. and the Sheriff held the election.
and when the polls We're closed and the votes
added up he proclaimed in a loud voice the
names OF those who We're chosen. The candi-
dates during the election. sat on a raised bench
Immediately behind the Sheriff that each Of
them could see and be seen by the voter. II was
an exciting scene to an inexperienced young man
uke myself When a voter came up every can
aida,e began to solicit his vote and press his own
name upon him. and as many of the voters cared
verv little about the candidates l think 1t very
y..y that the sSful in these struggles some
times obtained votes that would otherwise have
been given to another"
When the viva voce system was finally done
away with and the ballot substituted in order 10
secure a secret vote and to protect the voter, It
was soon found that the practice OF printing tick
cts Of a certain party on paper OF certain color
destroyed the secrecy to great extent. ana then
came the paster. with strips bearing not only
the candidates own name but the names Of the
whole oppos!tion ticket except his own personal
antagonist. The white ticket. uniform in size,
print and general appearance. for all parties roi-
,owed. and finally. with view TO honesty and
secrecy. and as a guard against fraud and brib-
FRY. the Australian ballot was introduced
Every stage in this evolution gave rise TO dis
,usson and heated debate. and the same element
which fought against all kinds of ballot reform
ron, the viva voce method TO the Australian bal
OF. is now the most determined enemy OF the bal
OF machine which is the latest thing. the newest
ashton in voting.
The inventors of the various machlnes seem
to have the same objects in view, among Which
are absolute secrecy. expediton-both IN Vot-
ing and in counting the votes after tney nave
been cast-economy and. above ALL honesty
Despite the opposition from politicians and
the ballot machine as means
for quick, safe and secret voting is being con-
sidered seriously in many parts Of the country
and machines were used at the last election with
various degrees of success in many places
THE LAW ON THE SUBJECT.
When voting by machine was first suggested
In this State. those who were opposed 10 the IN
novation argued that an election by pailot
within the meaning Of the ffth section OF the
second article of the Constitution of the state
Of New-York would not be legal. The Constitu-
ton provided that "all elections by the citizens
shall be by ballot. except for such town officers
as may be directed TO be otherwise chosen
Lewis L. Delaheld wrote an opinion on the
subject, in which he held that the words cleo
ton by ballot" as they appeared in the Constitu-
ton meant only election by secret method, and
that they did not imply that the election must
be determined by the use Of written or
printed tickets and that the Intention OF
the trainers OF the Constitution and the Ian
cuage of the provision under consideration
were both fully satisfied by the use Of any alb
solutely secret method of election.
Further discussion Of the matter was obvated
by the new Constitution, which amended the
second article thus: "All elections by the citi-
zens for such town officers as may not by law
be directed 10 be otherwise chosen shall be by
ballot or by such method as may be prescribed
by law provided that secrecy in voting Is pre-
Served" Following this came the various bills
In the Legislature legalizing elections by the
use OF machines Among the bills passed was
one which made it lawful for any Common Coun-
ell OF any city and any Town Board or
any town within the State TO adopt the Myers
automatic ballot machine for use at all eec-
tions. IL the course OF the same legislative
session similar bill was introduced and passed,
which empowered any city or town within the
state TO adopt the Davis automatic ballot ma
chine for use at all elections
With the Constitution amended 10 meet the
emergency and with the new method OF voting
sanctioned by special legislative acts the manu-
facturers Of ballot machines were stimulated to
greater activity and exhibitions of voting ma
chimes were given In all parts OF the state with
view Of introducing them.
THE WORK OF THE CITY CLUB
The City Club was among the first organiza-
tons in New-York to take an active interest IN
the matter, and many OF its members favored the
new method of voting II it could be demonstrated
that any one Of the machines possessed all the
requisite qualities committee was appointed.
consisting Of Gustav H. Schwab. Boudinot Keith
and J. ". Pryor. to make an examination OF the
various devices and to report to the club. The
committee never made report, because In the
opinion Of the members Of that body. none OF the
machines met all the requirements. and they
thought that further improvements should be
made before any machine could be looked upon
- safe In the course Of the Investigations 'he
Committee had an amusing experience. ne"
machine was being shown by the inventor VINO
enlarged on It's superiority over all others' ''s
simplicity. durability and accuracy, wheh
member Of the examining party said: Ihe srea.
Objection To the machine is that q voter Ipust