Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-20
rREss COMMENT ON THE MESSAGE.

Creighton Courier: Governor Ho!com5's
| message TO the legislature was surs to be
| read by all who read the daily paaers. as
! 1t was so long II shut out all other matter
| and subscribers were compelled to read il
| or nothing.
Elwood Republican: Governor Holcomb.,
message to the Twerty-ffth session of the
! Nebraska legislature is not quite rs lengthy
| as Windy W's" famous "a four hour speech
but 1t is nevertheless lengthy enough for al,
common purposes The governor handles in
an able manner almost every subject of
! tate importance to come before the present
session. His statement on ballet law amenl
ments are In exact accordance with our
view of the question. He recommends that
an amendment be passed providing that no
party snail have more than two judges and
one clerk on any election beard.
Wisner Chronicle: The eovcrpcr's oh
jection5 to adopting the blanket style of
election ballot in this state are wen taken
The printing of each straight party ticket
in column and designating it by IN en-
biem IS placing a premium on Ignorance
and heedleSsness The provision bv which
the entire ticket is voted by the use of
single mark tends to carry an objectionable
candidate along with his associates Tho
present ticket in this state causes each can
dldate to stand upon his own merits and
ooliSes the elector to scan his ballot in de-
tell' with the amendments suggested hy
the governor in his message the Nebraska
ballot law is all right.
North Bend Argus: Governor Holcomb in
ms message heartily approves of the pres
ent ballot law end heartily recommends il
IN preference to the blanket" ballot The
governor recommends a change in the law
that Will prevent two factions from using
the same name or name similar enough to
In the least deceive voters. Our suggestions
some time ago was to the effect that the
present ballot was preferable to the "blan-
a n ~ h,r ,.FI,Tn
the pen the voter can vote a straight ticket
We believe 1t far better that the voter
should study his ballot sufficiently to know
just who and for what Office he Is voting.
And another change in the law that will
no doubt be made by this legislature win
be the appointment of judges and clerks of
election so that each party win be repre-
sented on tho election board and thus do
away with any partisan juggling that may
be attempted by any party.
Genoa Leader;, Governor Holcomb rec
ommends that there be no change made in
the form of our, Australian ballot Why
did not the governor go little farther and
recommend the repeal of that section of the
law which authorizes the judges to mark the
ballots of lliterate voters? This seems to
the Leader to be one of the most important
duties of the present legislature. The Aus
tralian ballot is supposed to be secret. Is
II so with this clause in force? What
chance does alVoter, not intelligent enough
u nldTis Hli OWH DallOt, nave IN many pre-
cincts in this state? With the board all
of one political complexion he is at their
mercy. And what right has a man not in
teiligent enough TO learn to mark his own
ballot got to vote anyhow? Under the pres
ent law the balance of power In Nance
county Is held by voters who were unable
to say for certain whether Mckinley rep
resented free silver or the gold standard
during the recent campaign and besides
they live in precincts where they are at
the mercy of partisan boards, and boasts
have been made that no matter how tho |
Polanders desired to vote that they were
voted to suit the judges. Every would-be |
voter should be given a ballot, pen and
Ink, and booth and II he cannot mark the |
ballot without assistance (unless he Is |
blind let him be disfranchised No Injustice |
Is done him or anyone else, for II he Is |
intelligent enough to be allowed to vote at !
all, he can and viii learn to mark II him
self, whether he can read or not, and If he |
cannot learn to mark 1t himself he Is not |
intelligent enough to vote.