Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1898-03-03

voters, utterly ignoran. of all that had
been done, would apply to vote on cleo
ton day, they would find their names
erased and they would not he allowed to
vote.
Tits was actually done, and there was
no etfectual remedy of relief under the law.
The voters who had their names thus
stricken off lost their votes.
But, even ifa voters name is, by the
grace of the registrar, left upon the books,
and he is an illiterate voter when, he goes
to vote, he has presented to him at the
polls by one of the judges ballot which
is so constructed as to confuse and en-
barrass even an educated man. The voter
has Il technical course to pursue, OF which
| he is ignorant, for unless all the names,
in what may be long list of candidates
are scratched out in the precise way pre-
scribed by law-that is, the pen or pencil
must run through at least three-fourtbs OF
each of the names (section 13)-the ballot
is in effect not scratched at all, and the
voter loses his vote, certainly as to the
candidate in that list, although it may be
perfectly plain who he intended to vote
for
If the iiterate voter has his ballot
fixed for him (perhaps by an unfriendly
otlcer) he has not the slightest way Of
forming judgment as to whether that
officer is doing it correctly or not. The
whole matter is made so complicated and
difficult that many man who was well
educated has failed to vote correctly, and
the illiterate voter has not the ghost OF a
chance. Every provision is made to drive
the illiterate voter into the hands of one
of the officers of the election, where ar
engagements may be made for bribery with
out limit, as has actually been the case in
many places.
In those States where there is an effort
made to have the ballot as fair and as
uncontaminated with bribery as possible,
every provision that thought or expert
ence could suggest is made to help the
voter to cast his ballot without the inter-
ference of any officer whatever. For this
end emblem ballots are used and the bal
lot is posted outside of the booth, where
the voters can see it, discuss it and have
it explained. In Virginia the ballot is
not allowed to be posted, nor Is any one
permitted Ito carry any official ballot or
copy thereof beyond the voting booth or
away from the booth, except to the judges
of election" (section AZ. A violation OF
this provision is punished by fine of 500,
and the judges are directed to cause "the
INSTANT arrest of cny person making
such attempt"
But, even if for any reason the illiterate
voter should be permitted to get his ballot
into the box as he wants it, he is then
only in the position of all the other voters,
lterate and illiterate, who are las if man
did flee from a lion and bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his
hand on the wall and serpent bit him"
At the close of the polls the law (sec-
ton 1881 requires that the judges shall
Immediately proceed to CANVAS the
votes, and they shall take the ballots Out
of the box and count them, and if there
are too many ballots, by process of elm
ination which is laid down, the number of
ballots shall be made to agree with the
number of persons who have voted. This
! is done by the judges alone, and both
Judges and clerks are required to attest
the books in which the number of ballots
are made to agree with the number Of
names on the poll books. "After the poll
books are thus signed and attested, the
Judges shall, if desired, in the presence Of
not exceeding two friends of each political
party represented by the persons voted fol
, in such election, proceed to count and as
certain the number of votes cast for each
person voted for" (section 1907
1t will be observed that no person rep
resenting any person voted for-nor, in
fact, any other person-is permitted to be
in the voting place while the judges are
"CANVASSING" the ballots. One of the
unobtrusive provisions of the Parker Wal
ton law is that the electoral board shall
give to the judges of each voting precinct
"twice as many official ballots as there
are voters registered at the precinct for
which it is intended" (section 81. This
same law also artlessly provides that "all
ballots remaining unused at the close OF
the polls shall be carefully destroyed" and
says that this destruction shall be 'before
the box is opened" (section 10y
Now, what is the situation when the
polls are closed. There are the judges of
election appointed by an extreme partisan
board, and often appointed because they
are themselves utterly INSCRIPTIONS, shut
up in room ALONE, with the ballot box
and large number of unmarked ballots,
and supposing that every voter registered
at the precinct had voted, there would
still be an equal number of ballots I'M
used in their hands. What then is there
to prevent them from fixing the unused
ballots exactly as they pleased, taking the
ballots out of the box, burning or other
wise carefully Destroying them as the
law requires, replacing the ballots which
have been fixed to their OWN taste in the
box, counting them so as to make them
tally exactly with the number of voters on
the poll books, and then with everything
arranged, to open the doors and invite the
friends of the candidates to come in and
see the counting done?
Every trace of the "presto-change-act'
having been by law carefully destroyed. :"
There is nothing but plain description
of the modus operandi which is thoroughly
arranged and adjusted in the law. To
carry it out effectually only requires the
appointment If men who are willing to do
it, To get such men it is only necessary
to choose electoral boards who will appoint
them, and to the Legislature is given the
power to make the choice, and this choice
is about to be made. The voters are help
less.
The truth is that the election law in
Virginia is revolving farce on the very
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