The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-29
BILL TO REFORM THE BALLOT.
Senator Readings Measure Proposes
the Australian system.

the Australian system
Atlanta. Ca, Oct. 2S-Very little was
done at the session of the legislature to-
day. In the Senate the first steps to-
ward ballot reform was taken by the
introduction of a bill on that line by Mr.
Redding of the Twenty-second district
The bill provides that the Governor shall
within six months from the passage of
the act, appoint an upright citizen as
election superintendent, his term of office
to be at the pleasure of the Governor. In
all elections the voting shall be by secret
ballot. 1t shall be the duty of the super
intendent of elections to record the names
OF all candidates on the official ballots,
TO be prepared at the counties expense,
and ashese names shall be so ar
ranged as to show the party to
which the candidate belongs. All ballots
shall be printed in black ink, on white
paper, with a black line between each
name, so that the voter may place a cross
mark opposite the name of the candidate
for which he desires to vote. Voting booths
shall be arranged into which the voter
can go to arrange his ballot. He must
go alone and shall receive no assistance
in voting unless he be blind or otherwise
physically disabled. If the ticket when
deposited, is not Ineligible it shall not be
counted by the managers.
In speaking of the bill. Mr.. Reddng
says: 1T is one providing for the reg
ular Australian ballot system. 1 think
the time has arrived when we should have
such a law in the state. It will effectual-
~ eliminate the vicious and ignorant
classes from participating in elections. II
man does not have intelligence enough
to vote by himself, that is, to make out
his own ticket he cannot vote If this
bill becomes a law, the state will be con-
trolled by the intelligence of her people
without the interference of the ignorant.
The system has been tried. and has proved
to be practical and desirable i'm many
states and in many places in Georgia. We
have used it in Pike county in our primary
election, and found it 10 be eminently sue
cessful / think ii should be in operation
an over the state, and hope to see my
bill become a law
Mr. Calvin of Richmond came to the
front in the House again with his bill
providing for the issue of a circulating
medium by state banks and to secure a
test case on the validity of the federal
tax upon such. Under the bill state banks
will issue notes to the amount of 70 per
cent. of their stock. which will be secured
by first lien after taxes. on the entire
assets of the banks The Governor, Treas
uerer and Controller General are TO be a
commission to supervise the issuance of
these notes. If the bill becomes a law
the Attorney General of the state is TO
defend any suit against any bank that
issues such notes, carrying the case to
the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mr. Calvin says he has been given assur-
ance that if the bill is passed certain
banks will issue the notes for the pur-
pose of seeing the test case made.
Mr.. Hall OF Bibb introduced resolu-
ton which may mean a good deal to the
judiciary of the state Ii provides for
the appointment of a committee of one
from each congressional district to revise
the judicial circuits of the state. There is
good deal of inequality in the circuits
as they now stand, but the job of rear
ranging them is a big one
Mr. Mullins of Merriwether introduced
bill ceding ten acres of ground near
Warm Springs to the federal government
for the purpose of establishing fish
hatchery. The bili was considered in COM
mttee of the whole and was favorably re-
ported 1t will probably be passed in
few days. and the work of establishing
this federal fish industry will be commence
ed soon.
bill was introduced by Mr.. Speer of
Sumter TO regulate the sale of stocks OF
merchandise and TO prevent fraudulent
conveyances. The bill provides that when
sales Of stocks of merchandise are made
which practically discontinue the business
of the seller the purchaser shall publish a
notice of the sale in a newspaper publish
ed in the county where the property is To-
Gated, and shall retain in his custody and
control the purchase price for ten DAYS
after the publication. The failure to com
ply with the requirements of the bill shall
render the sale void as against any cred
itors of the sellers.