Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-24
THE DEFECTIVE BALLOTS.

The position of Mr.. jenkins, OF WIS
consln. and Mr.. Mccall, OF Massachu-
sets. both Republicans. and botn mem
bers OF tho House Committee on Eiec-
lions No. 3. was In admirable contrast
with that of General James A. WALKER
OF Virginia. In the case or iost 'S
Tucker. We have already given somo
quotations from the speeches OF these
gentlemen, and We shall quote no"
what Mr. Mccall had TO say IN com
pairing, the operations OF the Australian
ballot law In Virginia and other States'
Mr.. Speaker, i have argued the law
applicable to this question, and now
desire for a moment TO call the atteh-
ton OF members of the House 10 factS
which exist In the case. Those lacts
have been totally msrepresented mere,
/ do not mean 10 say Intentionally pue
there IS scarcely a member OF inc
House who has not received n wrong
impression OF the facts as 10 these so
called defective ballots. We proceeded
in this case upon the agreement OF the
counsel as to the fact that the ballots
did not comply with the law. Whether
they were marked or scratched one
fourth OF the way through, or one
eighth Of the way through. we did not
know. for we did not see them. but II
was badly agreed that they did not
conform 10 the requirements or inc
law i will refer TO the evidence on TINS
point, because there are some witnesses
who testified as to the condition or those
ballots, and l will refer 10 that testl-
mony in order to throw some light upon
the subject
Let me first call attention TO one cir
cumstance. This was the first introduce
ton IN Virginia Of the so-called Austria
liam ballot system; the first time 1t was
put in operation there. Now, most OF
the members who hear me have that'
or a similar statute, in force In their
own States, and / ask them, did you
fnd-I put the question 10 each OF you
Ola YOU find that the first time that
statute was put In operation every
voter even every intelligent voter sue
ceeded I'm expressing his viii according
to the law? Why, a distinguished gem
tleman from Maine where the people
are as intelligent as In any State Of this
Union. after the first trial Of the Aus
tralian system there, wrote letter 10
the papers, asserting that 10 per cent.
of the voters Of Maine had been dis
franchised by that system or Voting
In Massachusetts,, we have an educa-
tional qualifications; our voters must De
able 10 read and write, and yet the nrst
time the Australian system was applied
in our State there were tens OF thou
sands Of voters who did not express
their will at the ballot-box according TO
the requirements Of the law.
Recently, l saw it stated that ~ per
cent. of the vote Of New York cast az
the late election had to be thrown out,
and il is a matter within the common
knowledge Of everybody, even in intel
ligent communities where there may be-
or where there is, an educational quail
hcation for the suffrage, that there
are large numbers Of men who the first
time they try to vote the Australian
ballot are unable 10 do so successfully.
Now. what condition Of things was
there existing in the district under con-
sideration at this time? There the
Australian ballot system was intro
duced for the first time in district
where It IS contended by the contest
ant himself that a very large por-
ton Of the voters are unable 10 read
or write. There were cast in that dis
trict all told. about 1900 or 5000 votes.
After we have allowed to the con-
testant the votes that we have allowed
upon the various issues in this case,
there remain uncounted in that district
only about 200 votes. ! say that is an
extraordinary result considering the
| large number Of illiterate voters in the
district. especially when you remember
| how those voters were cautioned against
accepting the assistance of the sworn
officers Of the law. ! repeat that it is
extraordinary to see so few ballots
thrown out as defective.