Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-03-07

"Tne provision for following all the
nominees for each office by as many
blank lines as there are persons to be
elected to that Office gives opportunity
for every voter to cast his ballot strict
ly in accordance with his views with
out danger of losing his vote through
marking in different columns and so
not being counted by either the haste
or neglect of an election board.
"Third-For the same reasons that
recognition is specifically given to par
ty nominations provision is made for
voting party ticket by placing hor-
izontal row of circles across the top OF
the ballot. printing therein the names
of all parties making nominations. ar
ranged in the order of party dominants
in the last preceding spring election.
In order that there may be no misun-
derstanding as to the import of these
circles, this instruction Is to be print
ed underneath:
TO FACILITATE VOTING.
ITO VOTE A STRAIGHT TICKET
MAKE AN X MARK WITHIN ONE
OF THE CIRCLES, AND DO NOT
MARK THE BALLOT ELSEWHERE
ITO VOTE A SPLIT TICKET, THAT
10, rON OANDlDA YIN LIE L CAS-
ENT TICKETS, DO NOT MARK IN
AFTER EACH CANDIDATE VOTED
FOR.
"Fourth-The vexed question as to
how assistance can be rendered to q
voter who Is unable to mark his ballot
would allow free choice of any voter
opd <hOca uyho would root ri iof thfc dufV
to members of the election board, who
now have more than they can well do.
by restricting the choice of the assist
ant to one of the duly appointed watch
ers, and each watcher is required to
take an oath prohibiting the disclosure
of the way In which he marked any
ballot, and is further subjected to all
the penalties imposed by the bill upon
election officers for any such offense.
$50 far as possible. the lines Of the
existing law which are now fairly un-
derstood and reasonably well settled by
judicial interpretations have been
closely followed, except so far as it
seemed possible to simplify either the
method of nomination or the form Of
the ballot. The time within which pro-
tests must be made Is limited and nom-
nations are required to be filed with
the officers promptly so that neither
the Office of the secretary of the COM
monwealth nor the Dauphin county
court will be congested with a multi
tude of contests within a short time of
the election.
IN CASE OF CONFLICT.
"When two or more bodies seek to
use the same political name, claiming
to represent the same party, the secre-
tary of the commonwealth is required
to accept and file the first papers ten
dered, and the other party is compelled
to look to the court for redress. Ex-
cept as to matters of form the duties
Of the secretary Of the commonwealth
are made purely ministerial, although
he may reject any certificate or nomi-
nation paper for patent fraud in its ex-
ecution.
Every candidate is restricted to a
single place on the ticket, and where a
candidate receives nominations from
more than one party or group Of voters
he Is held to prefer to have used on
the ballot that one which shall be the
first filed. unless he shall within lin
tied time file a paper under oath ex-
pressing preference for some other
nomination.
This absolutely prevents any name
appearing twice on the ballot, and yet
by grouping all candidates, under each
title. gives ample opportunity for every
candidate receiving the votes of all Of
his friends. 1t Is Senseless for a candi-
dates name to appear more than once
when no elector is entitled to more
than one vote.
"It is estimated that this ballot, on
account of its reduced size, will cost
from two hundred to many thousands
less for each county each year.
1.-The question Of registration does
not form any part Of this Focht ballot
bill, because the constitution must be
first amended before any reform in that
line can be provided for by legislative
enactment"