The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-06
HOPE TO USE MACHINES
REPRESENTATIVES, OF VOTE REGIS
TIERS ASK FOR A COMPROMISE.
Went to an Expense I'm Preparing for
the Trial-Chairmen Will BE
Asked to Act.

The differences which have arisen regard
ing the use of voting machines may be ad-
justed and the machines given a trial. The
representatives of the company which man
ufactures them have consulted with the
chairmen of both committees, and an agree
ment may be reached whereby three of the
machines will be placed in Republican pre-
cincts and three in Democratic precincts.
and, If such is the case, an effort will be
made to select three precincts in which the
pluralities of one party about equal to
the pluralities of the opposite party in the
other three precincts. The United States
Voting Machine Company shipped six of the
machines here last Friday and they are ex-
pected to arrive this morning. The COM
pany has gone to considerable expense In
adjusting the machines to the unusual con-
dition of having twenty-four candidates for
school commissioner, of whom five only are
to be elected. The names of these candi-
dates are placed in a special block in the
lower right-hand corner Of the machine
The company has also gone to the expense
of having 300 facsmiles of the face of the
machine printed with the names of all the
candidates and the marks to indicate where
the keys are located 1t is the expectation
of the company to post fifty Of these in each
precinct in which a machine is placed.
Above each diagram full instructions as to
the method of voting are given.
The machine is extremely simple in It's
mechanism and there is not spring in the
entire piece of machinery to get out of or
der. The machine is about the height of an
average man and the party emblem is at'the
head of each ticket. Beside the emblem,
and in the square devoted to each candi-
date, is a projecting key. The offices are
plainly marked and the names of the candi-
dates are in large letters. so there is no pos
sibility Of a mistake. The pressure of one
of the keys or buttons merely places the
machinery in such a position that the vote
will be recorded. The pressure Of one but
ton will lock the buttons in the squares of
all other candidates for the same office, but.
II mistake has been made, the button can
be pulled out and the proper button pushed
in. The recording of the vote is made by
the opening of the door and the vote Is re-
corded and counted at the same time. 1t is
impossible for the vote to be registered in
any manner other than by the opening of
the door. The counting apparatus cannot
be reached after the machine is locked, ex-
cept by the concerted action of two judges
of opposite politics, as there are two keys
TO unlock the machine and judge of each
out the other.
THE INSTRUCTIONS.
The machine has no wood about ii and is
solidly built. The company shipped them
here on notice that the city desired to test
them, and an expense Of $3.50 was incurred in
preparing for the test. If compromise is
effected the machines will be at once set up
iii the precincts selected and instructions
will be given to all voters who call at the
voting place. and ii is believed that all can
be made familiar with their use. In addi-
ton to the large facsimiles of the face of
the machine, the company has had a large
number of nandbills of complete instruc-
lions printed for general distribution. These
instructions are:
Voters should not fail to examine large
diagram so as TO locate their candidates be-
fore election day.
Voters should call at the voting precinct
and learn the use OF the machine py operat-
ing ii themselves before election day.
Voters must enter the booth through the
door and close the door after them.
Upon leaving the booth open the door
and leave it open at right angles with the
machine.
DO not push any buttons except those
representing the candidates for whom you
desire to vote.
''Be sure and vote for some candidate for
each and every office.
arranged on the keyboard precisely as they
are printed on the diagram.
THE small rings in each square represent
the location of push buttons, of which there
is one for each candidate.
THE small rings to the left of the large
questions and are not used in this election.
1.-The large rings at the left and near the
emblem represent the location of the
straight ticket push buttons
1.-The party candidates are arranged in
horizontal rows
Voters must not imagine that the ma
chine is a complicated device requiring some
extraordinary action on the part of the
voter TO operate IT,
Voting consists in pushing In button
after doing which the voter will have ac-
complished all that is In his power to do.
ITO save , time in operating the machine
and get the location of their party and the
candidates.
cit will be observed that each candidate
has a number, therefore If the voter selects
the numbers of the candidates for whom he
desires to vote before entering the booth
he need not take time to read the names,
but can vote by numbers, taking pains that
the push button located in the square with
the number Is pushed in and left In before
TO vote a straight ticket push in one of
the large buttons at the left until 1t comes
to dead stop. Push the buttons In. Don't
operation will carry with 1t all Of the but
tons in the same row.
ITO split the ticket afterwards pull out
the button located in the same square with
the candidate it is desired to cut out then
vote another for the same office by pushing
in the button located in the square contain
ing his name and number.
1.-The names Of twenty-four candidates for
school commissioner are arranged in block
at the right and below the party row., To
vote for five of them, as the law prescribes,
it is necessary to push in five individual
keys, which is done by selecting the candi-
dates out of the block of twenty-four names
for whom the elector desires to vote. After
having pushed in five Of the buttons all the
other buttons become locked and the voter
has done all that is in his power to do.
After having made sure that the buttons
for the candidates for whom the elector de-
sires to vote are pushed in he Is ready to
leave the booth"
The company offers a guarantee that the
machines will not get out of order, and the
representatives say that any failure of the
machines in Indianapolis would kill the
business of the company. They urge that
the differences which have arisen are not
believe that as they came here by request