The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-10-27
SECRECY OF THE BALLOT.
workingmen Need Not Fear to Vote
Their Own Way.


Several letters have been received by
the Sun within the last "a hours from
workingmen which indicate that the trust
employers are up to their old tricks again.
Here is sample statement
''My boss says how are you going to
vote says Mckinley (Which ain t. }
lie eyed me minute and says "Well,
I'll know it if you don't We keep tab
on you all by that coupon the judge tears
off. y have told the boys in my shop
that it ain so--that the ballot is secret,
as the law says. viii you please tell us if
| ain right. It will interest every me-
chanic in Baltimore. Put the whole bus
mess plain and straightforward and we Il
act as the Sun says to.
THE BALLOT is SECRET.
Mr.. William f. Porter, member of
the Board of Supervisors of Elections, was
questioned upon this point yesterday after
noon. He said
''There is no possible way to ascertain
how man votes unless he states it him
self. The law providing for secret ballot
is very plain and carefully drawn.
''When voter walks into polling place
on election day he is asked his name and
address. The judges then look in the
registration books to see that he is proper
" registered. If he is registered the bal
lot clerk takes ballot from the pile before
him, writes the man $ name on a little slip
or coupon attached to it and hands him the
ballot The voter then goes into a secret
compartment or booth, where no one can
see him, and he marks his ballot He
folds it with the mark inside, comes out
and hands the ballot to the judge repre-
senting the party in power in the State
This year, of course, it will be the Demo-
cratic Judge The judge tears off the
coupon or slip bearing the voter name
and strings it on file. The ballot is then
placed in the ballot box.
THE COUPON AND ITS USE.
''Many persons are puzzled by the cou
pom upon which the name of the voter is
written, continued Mr. Porter. .sThey
imagine their ballots may be traced in that
way, but such is not the case Each con-
pom is numbered, but there is no CORE
spending number on the ballot.
aWhen the coupon is torn from the
ballot there is nothing oIsthe ballot to in
dictate who cast it,
ssThe coupons were devised simply to
prevent repeating. If | should vote, for
instance, and the judges neglect to record
al
me as having vo'ed' tne coupon VIII snow
the iac. Il ano'her man comes u ia'er
ana WISHES y VOC ~ lny name 'ne Ja .ss
may ,ooa o' Th sn ~ eo s,a.ad D., he
aPpa'sa%s, IN ~ ~ ', soss "a
, = ,ooN ose' 'l p. 'oupo',o '" As snat
na'I h. sU.s aos ny 10y ~ cou-
pun pa''p Ieu @Iu 49,, 49, - s.S,nd can
no' 'ea'n ~" o'Js, ~ szsfe : apso-
i - C = ,,,ls-s - NJ o,o 49,
.lU IN e s'a' i, ~ p., NJ .a ~ ~ s'
"a ''o' ao ns ''o. -, s pr s''
..whon a. liz Ill ssa alosad .ha srs.
~ II ps,,s, a. ~ ! - - dassso,, the
.n ~ 'Is ~ Ia a.. ~ e i. ~. 49,, w
a1 oe H. S,asa a - .o =, ~ AZ,
as"I.a. !. ~ - - 49,, ~ al al,;,,
as;a; IL. II his ;as,r,,a,;a,s sb;s resr
a,,arnev General Ravnsr soys viii rsfsy
a a,so' ~ H. e '"n,'ans no s~'S' "'''' -
III - - NJ III. x. .5 =,
pe.o , '"s Da''s ~ ~ L.,, Z sa s 4 N N
: saAs' ''o'" s"' 'os'0's ea'' s''a'
= q ~ syoy Will nsrca;va here that tbe con :
80. !, - 49,, CO., ~, s,o;la5
pms a. = $50 - - -. 49, 49, III