Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-06
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L0OKER-0N IN IOWA.
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Gilman, Nov. ut will soon be in
cusSion on our Iowa plan of marking
the ticket used in the Australian bal
lot system. Not until it is changed
can we hope to get the full intended
reform desired, /. e., of placing ball
lot in the hands of each voter, thru
which by certain marks he can indi-
cate his choice of all of the nominees.
Certain and sure is it, that the politi-
cian-the bosses-will keep the circle
at the head of the ticket, this for the
purpose of inducing the ignorant and
don't care voters to vote the straight
ticket, this result the exact opposite of
the intent of the system.
Again, as long as the present system
of allowing the circle on each ticket
is in vogue, just so long will thousands
of votes be thrown out for imperfect
and unintelligble voting. II some one
will collect the figures of the votes
thrown out on Tuesday, Nov. 9TH, for
these reasons and present them to the
next legislature, there is great hope the
law will be changed.
No better illustration of the fact that
it is possible for /. candidate to be
elected or another defeated by this I'M
certainty that exists in properly mark
ing ticket, has been shown than by
the following copy of a circular scat
tered broad cast in an adjoining coun-
ty. 1t proves that those engaged in a
contest which, to them, means reform,
may be defeated by the present circle
system of marking u ticket. And to
the writer's positive knowledge, at one
election in this referred county, i'll one
township, Is votes were thrown out be-
cause of circle marking and then other
marks which nullified the whole ballot.
And in this county which contains a
large percentage of American born and
educated voters it was found necessary
to print and distribute the following
hand bills.
Vote for member of board of super
visors. Read carefully instructions how
to vote the Australian ballot. Repub-
licans, vote for ! On opening
your Australian ballot when you enter
your booth you can vote against -
with perfect safety as follows: Put no
mark in the circle at the head of any
ticket. Begin at the head of the re-
publican ticket and place your first
cross in the square before the name
of A. B. Cummins for governor. In
like manner place Il cross in the square
before every other republican candi-
date until you reach the name of ---.
Place no cross in the square before his
name, but pass directly across to the
right where you will find the name of
-------. Place cross in the square be-
fore his name, and then return to the
republican ticket and place a cross In
the squares before the names Of all
candidates after that of -
must go!'
And that's the only way ticket
should be made. Leave off the circle!
And here's another reform the peo-
pie Of Iowa can we'll advocate, and that
is the town meeting of New England"
Talk is cheap, but sure 1t is that a
gathering of interested citizens, to dis
cuss a question of interest to all, and
the expressed opinion that is brought
out on such occasion. does much to
shape good legislation. Speaking of
this the Hartford Courant says: I'VE
have noticed in certain newspapers the
statement that the town meeting is
played out. We beg to differ. Any
body who reads the state news of the
Courant has seen the numerous re-
ports of such meetings held within the
past week and from these there has
come adequate evidence that the town
meetings instead of being played out
is still the opportunity of the citizen
and the school of New England citi
zenship. One and another matter of
self -government has come up and been
discussed as keenly as If 1t was the
presidency of the nation, and every
man has had his say if he wanted to
talk. This may bore some soulful per-
sons, but it Is education in government
and that day will be a sorry one for
Connecticut when it is true that the
town meeting is played out. Fortu-
nately 1t has not yet hove in sigh"
The town of Grinnell, for a while,
held on Sunday nights what they called
a free parliament, but for some reason
they have been omitted lately. These
resulted in good, altho being
held in a church on Sunday night,
seemed to smack of a possible union of
under discussion We're not always those
of religious nature. And under such
auspices there was lack of freedom in
discussing the question before the
house, which would not be possible II
all the churches We're represented and
the meeting was held in the town
hall" For instance, Grinnell could
have a very interesting meeting In
the new opera house as soon as finished
the subject being. Reform by City
Ordinance"
Even reform by law has got set
back in Iowa: The decision of Judge
Wheeler at Clarinda, in holding the law
passed by the last general assembly
travelling statesmen from
selling liquor in prohibition counties
because in restraint
of interstate commerce, will be re-
viewed by the supreme court. This law
designed to prevent the sales OF cris-
inal packages of liquor in in the sixty
five prohibition counties in the state.
Judge Wheeler's decision again permits
the traffic The law remains valid so
far as orders to liqour houses within
the state are concerned" This decision
opens wide the traffic in Intoxicating
liquors, in original packages, shipped
from points outside of the state. II
the prohibition element will only con-
tinue the work recently carried OH at
Grinnell and Hampton against the ex-
press companies who deal in broken
packages, some restraint can be had.
Those who are familiar with the busi-