The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-29

OF the Question-TaIka with .
Number of Politicians and Others
of the Twin Cities-AII Agree
That a Change Is Desired.
Two eminent Republicans yesterday
gave their unqualified Endorsement NJ
The Clio e. s suggestion that the
pianKef ballot used in New York state
should be adopted In Minnesota. They
were none others than Chief Grain
Inspector Clausen and Judge Mills, the
railway commissioner.
tnlnk the blanket ballot would he
q splendid thing" said Mr.. Clausen
10 reporter for The Globe err
Wouio simplify voting very much. 1t
mas every requisite of q secret balIot.
ana even the most nliterate may vote
Lnteiilgently. There are some edu-
Gated persons in Minnesota who now
think that by placing a cross opposite
the candidate for governor they vote
LOT every other candidate of the party
ana IN that way the subordinate can
oldates lose many hundreds Of votes.
Inc blanket ballot obviates such mis-
taxes. A man may vote as he chooses
ana 1t is his own fault If he neglects
10 vote as he wishes. think the state
JUDGE MILLS LIKES IT.
The blanket ballot as shown In The
q b e is the best yet devised said
Judge Mills. "One glance at it is suf
hcient to convert the most skeptical as
to its excellence. 1 really believe vot-
Ing machines should be employed. but
next to machine the blanket ballot
IS the best solution of the question
now to vote with absolute secrecy.
The blanket ballot is much better than
the system we now have, for 1t saves
time and guards against fraud"
HAS MANY GOOD POINTS
Col. W. P. Clough, vice president Of
the Great Northern Railway company,
said he believed the blanket ballot an
excellent one
1T has many good points," he said,
which the present method does not
possess"
E. G. Rogers-I cannot see that there
would be disadvantage worked to eth
er party in the use of such a ballot.
1t is clear that, as things stand, the
men at the end Of the ticket labor I'M
der a disadvantage and would be car
RED along by their party, If the ticket
was differently disposed. It Is appar-
ent that people will, not labor through
the list of names as at present put on
the ballot, and every man nominated
should have an equal chance for the
support Of his party.
DIVISION OF TICKET.
An eminent jurist, who declined to
be quoted, said: st do not care to dis
cuss the merits of any proposed cleo
ton system, but 1 do think that the
whole ground would be covered If
there was provision made for a divis-
ion of the ballot into three sections. I
believe that the whole list of candi-
dates would have an equal chance in
the running, If there was, at every
election, q division Of the ballots into
three parts, one executive, one legis-
lative and the other judicial. Our sys-
tenn of government is divided that way
and the ballot should be so divided
THINKS 1T WOULD BE GOOD. !.
81 have not given the matter much
attention" said Mayor Kiefer. ''but if
1t is possible to have a ballot by which
the voter can, by making one mark,
vote the straight ticket and also have
the privilege of selecting candidates OF
the several parties, 1 should think it
would be a good thing"
FAvORS SOME CHANGE.
8. A Young, of the firm OF Finch,
Van Slyck, Young & Co., says he is
heartily in favor OF the adoption of
some more comprehensive state ballot
than the one now in use, and that he
thinks the New York ballot would
make an excellent substitute.
1.-The New York ballot" said Mr..
Young, lis more simple in its arrange
ment than the state ballot used in Min
nesota, and the provision for voting
straight ticket that removes the neces-
sity of marking a cross against every
candidates name, would. in my opin-
ion, strongly commend itself to the in
telligent voter. The use of symbols
over each ticket is not necessary to
the simplicity Of the ballot, I think,
but in cases OF uneducated voters
might assist them in voting the ticket
they desired. The necessity for
change of some kind from the style of
ballot now in use seems to me impera-
tive, as IT'S complications undoubtedly
confuse the voters"
JUDGE RAND'S IDEA.
Lars NJ Rand, Minneapolis think
it would be a good idea to have a
law which would permit man to vote
a straight ticket without unnecessary
effort. 1 always vote the ticket
Stra1Sht from top TO bottom, but pre-
sumo there are many who, either in q
hurry through indisposition to spend
the time required, or uncertainty as to
the number they may vote for for a
| certain office, fail to follow the ticket
| into the minor offices. I am in favor of
| a revision of the present election laws
| on right lines.
JUDGE HICKS VIEWS.
Judge Henry G. Hicks, Minneapolis
am not familiar with the reform pro-
posed by The G l o b e, but have look
ed over some of the bills which are
floating around. Those 1 have seen
fail to hit the vital point in the abuses
of the present system, which is the
lessening Of the proper dignity of the
| primary. The primary, to my mind, is
as sacred as the election final, and 1t
should be given as effective safeguards.
/ do not think much OF the straight
| ticket voting system. If q man wants
to vote. he should be able to mark his
| ticket. But the chief evil can be
| reached, 1 think, by entrusting to the
primary the absolute election Of the
nominee. There should be no dele
gated power, no delegate conventions
In the sugar bush, If you upset bar
| rel OF sap, it is comparatively a small