New-York tribune., 1900-05-26
TILE HIRGINIA PL1N.

Many and ingenious ways have been devised
by politicians evade the secrecy of the ballot.
In the old days party managers used to print
the tickets on paper of peculiar colcr or with
peculiar typographical design. Later, when in
this State laws required plain type and white
paper, they used to play tricks with the weight.
and when the official ballot finally adopted
there was much cudgellng of brains about
possible marks of identification. 1t may still be
possible for bribed voters on limited scale to
prove that they have delivered the goods but
unless the citizen wishes to reveal his action he
is now fairly well protected 1t is no longer
possible for the party workers TO spot voters
and exercise terrorizing influence on tmid or
dependent persons.
SO far has this principle of secrecy as essential
to fair vote been embodied into the law of
this and many other States that it is difficult to
realize that there are States in the Union where
elections held under laws expressly framed
to publish every mans action as clearly if he
were required to give viva voce vote. We have
before circular issued by the Democratic
County Committee of Culpeper Va, which
exhibits about the frankest attempt to make
farce of secret balloting that we have noticed
since the of ballot reform began. The
circular issued in view of the vote of May
"a on the proposition to hold Constitutional
the negro while pledgng the Democracy against
any efforts ito disfranchise the citizens of
Virginia who had a right to vote prior to 1861,
''or their descendants. Then it tells all citizens
who desire to stand well with the party machine
how to show their coors, in the following
fashion:
word to the method of voting The
official ballots will have them only the
words For Constitutional Convention" so
hat A-iSh fn Jvntn for tha
will not be necessary for you to mark your
ballot at ALL nor for you to go into the booth.
but simply TO fold your ballot just you receive
it, and return it to the judges of the election
without leaving the window. Only those persons
who wish to vote against the convention will
find it necessary to go into the booth.
OF course the Democrats carried the State on
Thursday by 10000 Under such conditions
almost any majority for the convention would
not have been surprising. Anybody who wanted
to vote against the convention had to 90 10
extra trouble not required of those in favor of
the convention. Thus the State itself puts a
land in the balance. just do the Ministries
OF Spain and Italy, which practically compel
the voters to return Parliament friendly 10
the party in power. Quite aside from the lack
of secrecy and the chance for terrorism and
fraud in such vote, the mere failure 10 give
an equal opportunity for both sides makes the
vote travesty Of free, democratic expression
vi opiiion' Inc arrangement providing that a
person who votes contrary 10 the wishes of .tho
State must not only take extra trouble IN
mark the ballot, but must also make himself
conspicuous. is an attempt at coercion which is
not less coercion because a line of shotguns
does not happen to be drawn on the markell
booth into which only marked man enters
1t Is perhaps not surprising to find free voting
thus denied in the name of the Democratic
party But it is a trife startling to see the
scarcely concealed intimidation of camnaion
circulars. Such things are generally done
quietly. Only those persons who wish TO vote
against the convention will find 1t necessary
ITO go into the booth" All others NAV take
their ballots and vote without leaving the
window And yet they call that sort of
espionage an election in Virginia and on "freo
expressions Of popular will" of this kind thev
are going 10 found new Fundamental, law,