The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-06-06
THE ISSUE RESTS
WITH THE PEOPLE
The Question Of the Introduction
Of Expensive Voting Machines
in Pennsylvania.
FIRST BLOOD FOR TIE CONTRACTORS

They WIN Vow Work to Carry out
Their scheme. the Initial Cost of
which woula BE Nearly Two MIL
lions of Dollars 90 Experiment
with Their Special Apparatas-
Especial Correspondenee)
Harrisburg. June 5.-A decision by
the supreme court which viii obligs
the secretary OF the commonwealth to
advertise the proposed amendments -
the constitution is regarded as a great
victory for the contractors who are
seeking 10 introduce the voting ma
chimes into Pennsylvania
Governor Stone vetoed the action OF
the last legislature In this matter upon
the ground of public economy and that
there was no popular demand for the
proposed Innovation of voting ma
chimes in this state. The matter was
taken to the supreme court at the In
stance of the promoters OF the voting
machines, and several members OF re-
form associations joined in this issue,
and as well as that of the proposed
amendment to the constituticl which
would abolish the provision requiring
uniform legislation upon the ballot
issue throughout the state. Under
cover of the agitation over the cleo
tion frauds in Philadelphia and Allie
gheny, the lawyers for the voting ma
chine interests pushed their cases. and
have at last succeeded in getting a de-
cision which nullifes the action Of
Governor Stone. who sought to block
the voting machine game with his veto.
LEAVE IT TO THE PEOPLE.
The leaders OF the Republican organ
ization of the state have not taken any
positive stand upon this issue OF hav-
ing the proposed amendments go 10
vote of the people. Before the suggest
ed amendments can come up TO be
voted upon at the general election they
must be again voted upon by the state
legislature. Meanwhile the secretary
of the commonwealth must advertise
the proposed amendments in every
bly, SAC. 600 The nominees Of the Re-
publican party for the legislature will
use their own judgment as to what at
titude TO assume on the issue Of the
voting machines and the matter OF
wiping out the constitutional provi-
sion requiring uniformity of legislation
affecting the method of voting. They
must learn the sentiment of their con
stituents. In this latter contention an
effort is being made to require personal
tions of the commonwealth. The great
issue. however, will be upon the pro-
posed introduction of the voting ma
chimes. Samples of these machines
were shown here during the last ses-
sion of the legislature. when the pro-
moters Of the scheme had strong lob
by on "the HILL" working in their in
terest among the members of both
houses. II was then estimated that
the cost of each machine would be
about s235, and that as there are about
1000 voting precincts in Pennsylvania
the total cost for the mere introduc-
tiOn of the machines would be over a
million and half dollars. This would
not be counting the cost OF repairs and
maintenance and storage between cleo
tions. The machines are very intri-
cate pieces of mechanism and would
require first class machinists to keep
them in order. Should one of them
- r,r-la al. 4 .
whole scheme of election in that pre-
einet would fail.
NO MACHINE HONESTY.
Another argument against the use OF
voting machines is that it is conceded
that no machine can make men honest
who are otherwise disposed. The ar
rangement Of the machine for which
this fight is being made requires the
voter 10 touch buttons which record
the names of the candidates for whom
the citizen desires to vote. II is point
ed out that there would be nothing to
prevent dishonest men to permit i'm
personation of voters in this push the
button" scheme any more than there is
TO allow men tc impersolate others in
the casting of the ballots under the
present system. II is quite probable
that the people viii carefully weigh
the arguments pro and con On thf,
matter of the introduction of the ma
chimes before they ultimately decide TO
advocate the expenditure OF a million
and half dollars upon an expert
mental proposition. Should these pro-
posed amendments be approved by the
next legislature they would then be
submitted to a popular vote at the
election to lie held in November, 1901.
STALWARTS NOMINATED.
The nomination of Senator Jacob c.
Stineman to succeed himself was con-
summated last week when the adher-
ents of his dist .iet met at the Ameri-
can House. Hollidaysburg, and unan-
imously placed him in the field as the
Republican nominee. There were three
conferrees from each county in the dis
trict, George T. Swank and Harry w.
Slick. of Johnstown, and S. w. Davis.
of Ebensburg. representing Cambria
county, and ]. H. Craig, of Altoona,
and J. L. Hartman and ]. Lee Plum
Der. Of Hollidaysburg, were the Blair
county conferrees. Resolutions were
adopted cordially commencing Senator
Stineman to the people for reelection.
He is a stalwart Republican, whose re-
nomination was demanded by a pOular
vote, to the great discontinue of the
insurgents. Senator Stineman went
into the Republican caucus on the Uni
ted States senatorship at the last ses-
sion of the legislature and consistently
voted for Colonel Quay for United
States senator until the end of the ses-
sion. This action was made an issue
before the Republicans of his district
and he won by an overwhelming vote.
CHESTER COUNTY SOLID.
Another county went on record last
Saturday on this same issue. The en-
tire delegation from Chester county TO
the next legislature came up before the
Republicans of that county at the pri-
mary election on that day At the
head of the ticket was State Senator
W. p. Snyder, who is president pro
TEN. of the state senate, and who act
ed and voted with the stalwart Repub-
licans on the United States senatorship
throughout the entire session of the
Legislature. Senator Snyder had been
threatened with opposition for renom-
ination unless he deserted the caucus
nominee for United States senator last
winter, but when the time came to
spring this opposition the insurgents
weakened. They found that the senti-
ment of the Republicans of Chester
county was against them and in favor
OF majority rule No effort was made