Evening journal., 1897-02-15

IN 4 4
sa INFIRM TO GO TO DOVER, BUT
HE WRITES A FoRCIBLE LET
TER NOTWITHSTANDING THE
NfNETY-oNE YEARS WHICH
WEIGH HIM DOWN.
staff Correspondence Evening Journal
DOVER, Feb. 15.-In the House to-
day Representative l.. II. Hopkins pre-
sented and had read an address from 4.
B. Coursey of Kent county, who Is
perhaps, the Oldest Republican politi-
clan in the county, being 81 years old
In past sessions of the General Assem-
bly, he has appeared before the mem-
bers IN person. and enunciated his
views ON public questions, but his bod
lily irhrmities prevent him from doing
SO this time. His letter is as follows:
To the Honorable Senate and House of
Representatives, now in session at
Dover.
Gentlemen: Ii has been a custom with
former Legislatures land perhaps the
presently to give audience TO, and hear
addresses and arguments from, indi-
viduals having matters to come before
them in which they we're interested. On
account OF physical disability ! cannot
appear before you in person. Were II
Otherwise, ] could not present my
views as intelligently and forcibly as
on paper would therefore respect
fully solicit your favorable considera-
tion 81 the subjects / herein present and
suggestions in their connection as
though delivered I'm person.
There are three questions to which
would respectfully ask your attention
ballot refarm, the legal rate of interest
and the equalization of taxation.
al have been advocating the purity of
the ballot for nearly half q century, but
without much hope of success, for ii
has been getting worse all the time
Some four years ago | had the honor
OF hearing before the Senate and
House and an opportunity to present
my voting screen and explain its adj
vantages over the system then In nse.
and also some suggestions inconnection
Herewith to be embodied in law by
some one competent to do so. My
screen aud suggestions were favorably
received by many of the members, es-
pecially OF the House, but my not
being a member Of the bar and being
on the wrong side of the fence, it was
ignored, and legal gentleman was ap-
pointed with fat fee in view to for
was the suppression of bribery at the
polls. But Il has utterly failed of its OBJ
ject. and instead of suppression has
been a prolific source of increase, the
last election being without a parallel.
1t was the chief cause of the late un-
pleasantly that has caused our state to
become q by-word and reproaeh There
has never been anything like 1t before
and Ii Is to be hoped that nothing like
1T Will follow Your honorable bodies
Will certainly not adjourn without
making change in the law or repeal.
ing II altogether
would respectfully suggest as an
Improvement the adoption of the OLE
ballo. Of our forefathers, which hat
been in use since my earliest recollec
tion up to the present blanket ballot
WHICH. pwith the voters assistant, hal
been the cause OF more bribery an,
fraud than has ever been known be
fore would respectfully suggest tina
the ballots be similar to those used be
fore the present ballot law except tina
they be printed on colored paper, sa!
blue for the Democrats, red for tn,
Republicans, yellow for the Prohibi
tionists and n very dark green for th'
Single Takers. This would, of course
necessitate an envelope to enclose tn
tickets to make it an absolutely secre
ballot. There should be in the polling
room booths as at present. and tn
tickets Of all parties placed therein il
separate packages with stickers on col
ored sheets 10 correspond with TIL
tickets, so that anyone wishing to vot
for friend on any other ticket may d
so, and the colors being different tn
inspector. when reading out, will see
at glance With these colored ticket
the uneducated man. though he coul
not read his own name could selec
the ticket of the party with which h
affiliates tif there are such) and vot
a straight ticket which he would OF ne
cessity have to do. for il you ad
nit voters assistant you open tn
door to fraud and bribery The abov
suggestion framed into a law woul
certainly be an improvement on tn
present ballot law, but better than thi
would be the Myers voting machin,
When II was here on exhibition wit
Wow Of getting the Legislature I
adopt it. | was opposed to its adoption
believing. as / did, that it would not b
a legal ballot and would cause cor
tests, and be a source OF trouble an
expense. But that difficulty has no
been removed and such a ballot mad
constitutional The only thing now !
the way Of its adoption is the cost
the machines. To purchase machine
for every polling place in the stat
Csmall as Il is) would amount to a larr
sum. though it would not require Z
great a number as il requires for til
blanket ballot-yet even that would |
large amount
If | am informed correctly, thei
were in Sussex county thirteen pollin
places before the present ballot Lax
There were two additional last Fal
There We're in Kent county, prior to Il
present ballot law, eight polling place.
last Fall there were added eight NOR
making altogether sixteen. I have bee
unable 10 get the number in New Cast
-~--~~~~~~~--------~----~~--