The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1901-10-17
VOTING MACHINE GRAB
Voters Of Pennsylvania Opposed to
q Tremendous Spectators Job.
BIG SCHEME OF POLITICIANS

Proposed Amendment to the constitu.
tIon Would Mean An Expenditure
Of Over 4 Million and a Halt Of
Dollars.
At the coming election citizens Of
Pennsylvania will be called upon to
vote yes" or mo" upon two proposed
amendments to the constitution. One
Of these provides for personal regis
tration Of voters In certain thickly
settled communities and Ia apparently
not being approved by the leaders Of
one OF the political parties. Organi-
zation men have no reason to oppose
such an innovation. The Independent
or Indifferent voter is usually the most
difficult to get to the polls. Now, II
he has to go twice for each election,
once when he is to be registered and
again to vote he will be apt to be OF
less annoyance to the party man, Re-
publican or Democrat, aa the case
may be.
AN UNPOPULAR SCHEME.
The other proposed amendment Is to
permit Of the introduction of voting
machines in this state.
Little attention has been paid by tha
people to this matter 1t would appear,
but 1t Is known that combination
Of politicians and capitalists arc quiet
ly working a game to have this 2mead-
ment adopted They have visions OF
great prospective financial gains
through the introduction of this in
novation.
Samples OF these machines were
shown at Harrisburg during the last
session OF the legislature, when the
promoters OF the scheme had a strong
lobby on "the HILL" working in their
interest among the members OF both
houses.
It was then estimated that the cost
of each machine would be about $235,
ing precincts in Pennsylvania the total
cost for the mere introduction OF tho
machines would be over a million and
half dollars. This would not be
counting the cost Of repairs and main
tenance and storage between elections.
The machines are very intricate pieces
Of mechanism and would require first
class machinists to keep them In order.
Should one Of them get out Of order
on election day the whole scheme Of
election in that precinct would fail.
A BIG GRAB FOR POLITICIANS.
Another argument against the use Of
voting machines is that 1t is conceded
that no machine can make men honest
who are otherwise disposed.
The arrangement Of the machine for
which this fight is being made requires
the voter to touch buttons which record
the names of the candidates for whom
the citizen desires to vote. 1t 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 to impersonate others
in the casting Of the ballots under the
present system.
1t is quite probable that the people
will carefully weigh the arguments pro
and con in this matter Of the intro
duction OF the machines before they
ultimately decide to advocate the eY-
penditure Of million and half dol
lars upon an experimental proposition.
Republicans do not want their party
to be saddled with the responsibility
OF expending over a million and half
dollars to introduce machine In
which combination Of selfish men are
so deeply and personally interested.
and which would not give satisfaction
to the people.
Quay Meets the President.
what is this the Washington dis
patches tell us-Senator Quay act
ually called upon the President. was
really received with cordiality and ur-
gently invited to stay to dinner" asks
the Wilkesbarre Leader. How awful!
from an insurgent standpoint. And
yet It is not strange when we remem-
Der that Mr.. Roosevelt would not now
be President had not Mr.. Quay In
sisted upon making him vice presi-
dent Why shouldn't he be cordially
received at the White House and
urged to dine with the PRESIDENT
But the news CRATES harshly upon in.
surgent ears, nevertheless. And Plat
was there. too, just the day before"