The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1898-03-24
MACHINES FOR VOTING
Devices to Insure a Free Ballot
and Fair Count.
TAMPsRIEG WITH RETURNS
WIN Be Impossible and the Trick of
Stun'ng Ballot Eoxes VIII lie
Lost Art Among Unscrupr.
lc1s Politicians.

The !n=enui!- of man has at last
solved the problem Of voting machine
which meets the needs ard require
ments OF a popular system o. govern
snent The success OF the cash regis
ter in recording and counting cash. in
dicated the possibilities OF a piece OF
mechanism that would meet the many
difficulties, te meet and overcome in
perfectins q machine that would allow
each voscS TO register his will in Sc
crecy and co.nt every and ell votes
with rapidity and absolute accuracy.
Rhe viii of the voter by fraud. Men are
only men. and cs partisans are subject
to many prejudices. Passions and
Temptations have, and always will,
take every advantage to further the in
sereste and success OF the party to
which they belong But perfected
piece OF machinery, created for a pur-
pose to perform a certain work. has no
rarty affiliations or sympathy. Ii does
sts work as i, was eesi signed to do.
Many attempts have been made to
create a machine to perform the many
manifold duties necessary to receive,
record and count the votes cast at an
election. and repeated failures have fol-
lowed each attempt. until the United
States Voting Machine has been per-
fec,ed. Tais and the Ross Voting Ma
chine have both been on exhibition at
Columbus this winter for the tnspec-
zion and information CT members OF the
legislature. Doth arc constructed on
similar principles and either. II adopt
ed In Clio. would accomplish miracles
ana save thousand. ct dollars and
oceans OF scandal. That seem to nee
es.ary ends In our present system. By
this machine the returns are possible
70 be had from each precinct Inside OF
five minutes. The United States Vot-
ing Machine Is constructed on one Plan
as harmonious whole, in which every
pa:, Is adapted to and suitably inter-
related with every other part. so that
IL +. as certain 20 wor.. accurately as
p<.r Of gears.
ANY voting machine worthy OK consid-
erat!On must. in al RESPECTS. be me-
.chanicaily positive AID allow every vot-
er TO vote his choice IN any way that
can ne done with any printed oaiiot
and be absolutely certain that his vote
will be registered and counted as ne
casts u.
Everybody knows that neither
spr,n-.. gravity nor paper Is reliable.
None Of ;aem is used by Us. Springs
break; gravity sticks: paper tears;
they are only mskcshifts. wholly unre-
liable. unsafe, and should not be used
IN a voting machine No voter should
be d:sfranch,sed by above agencies. as
they are sure to fail sooner or later.
The United States Voting Machine Is
SECRET. SAFE. STRONG and EAS-
lLY UNDERSTOOD. II In general use
"a thc United States II would save the
tsx3ayc;s many millions o. dollars an
puu.iy in election ex..nees: and n
presidential; election tie result east Si
axe cor.5y raoua:sii.:s wo=.d be i.io"n
before the polls c.rsed on tie Paciic
slope
I, y,..,-, lie ya:c- taceS thc ma
chine. winch is Eimi'Gr In its case 10
the tvpcNriter c- cash :. S.sfer, and Il Is
rron the PRINCIPLES OF their mechanical
t. i.,,if
pies about five feet OF space. Each par
sy.s ..cke; is designated by color. and
the party emblem. and each cand!date
Is numbered il, the color ;Act represents
his party and ticket The arrangement
IL so complete IL t:,!s ia:;icCisr taat 1t
Is unnecessary to waste any s!ine IN
reading the names OF TIE candidates
upon the various tickcts. Is tic official
board has compared the ticket and the
certified nominations. Wien the voter
opens the door ard enters the booth TO
vote, II unlocks the machine and the
method OF voting ls very simple. IL he
first locates In his mind the color Of his
choice. II he wishes to vote straight
ticket. he pui,s e lever designated by
the color his party bears. and the vote
- cast and locked. so that Ii is impos-
titie for more than one vote to De
counted. II he wishes to vote scratch
ed ticket. he passes by the straight
ticket lever and locates the several can
didates for whom he desires to vote by
NJ cniHro For
n a Republican should want to vote
tor q candidate for county treasurer on
the Democratic t,ckct ard his number
was q, he would put his finger on such
q key and pull lever. By this method
he could vote for his friends op the re-
spective tickets without inya!idating
his entire ballot, as is frequently the
case under the present blanket sheet
system OF voting. The machine regis
tiers the votes In such way that when
the polls are closed the total vote for
each candidate is registered and before
the Judges. who can complete the count
In two minutes time, while under the
present system of counting the vote 1t
occupies two or three hours time. and
then II very frequently happens that the
number OF tallies and the totals do not
tally. with the result that innumerable
contests follow such irregularities.
There Is no possibility OF a mistake in
the machine registering the vote or of
the voter making an error when he de-
sises to vote either a straight or mixed