The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-03

tions concerning the ballot law in that
peculiar vein of his. He says.
Almost all the newspapers over the
state are denouneing the present ballot
law recently adopted and tried by Kan
sas
They denounce the law as compli-
Gated because it involves so many re-
strictions and complications in voting
the ballot.
The insist that the ballot voted does
not convince the judges as to the i'm,
tention of the voter.
Such position is nonsensical. There
can be no question raised on the inten-
ton of the voter if he place his x in
every square under the rooster, but does
the marking with blue lead pencil.
That ballot is legally void. although the
intentions of the voter is as clear as
though he had used a pencil with black
lead.
Suppose he had marked his ballot
with fountain pen?
AN Illegal ballot.
The voters intentions cannot be
questioned. All that the ballot indicates
is ignorance of the law which excuses
no one.
"A ballot that tests the voters intelli-
gence is certainly the most intelligent
method of arriving at an intelligent
election.
For many years people advocated
some educational test to qualify a voter.
One pleasing bit of romance was to re-
quire the voter to expound the constitu-
ton before being permitted to employ
his genius and jeopardize his personal
liberties by voting.
That test we indorse.
Such a test would, it is popularity
supposed, disqualify half the lawyers in
the United States and several members
of the supreme court as well.
We are in favor of reducing the right
of suffrage to a minimum.
eToo many ignoramuses vote, vote by
directions. vote by indirection. These
are proxy ballots and should not count
We condemn any ballot that betrays
the ignoramus. a.45.sss
Such ignorance may not be manifest
in lack of knowledge as to how ballot
should be marked to count: it may be
ignorance as to the comparative qualifi-
cations of two opposing candidates.
we condemn the emblem.
AN ignoramus who cannot read the
name of his party in six line black
gothic at the head of his ballot much
structed to place an x in the circle I'M
der the eagle.
Suppose he complies.
1T is legal ballot. while the philos-
opher who discr!minates and Scatters
his marks runs the hazard of annulling
his ballot
The present Kansas ballot is too easy
to vote. Make it more complicated.
requiring every voter to describe a
hypocycloid within the circle Any fool
can make an x there
Let the ballot contain only one cir
Gle and if regular decagon be inscrib-
ed therein. it shall count for all the Re
publican nominees: if it be a hexogon
give the vote to the Democrats: if a
pentagon turn it to Socialism if square
let Prohibitionists claim it. We should
be willing to require the voter to square
the circle in order to qualify.
Vote intelligently. Let the manner
of marking ballots show intelligence.
The severer the test the safer we are in
a republic where the riffraff rule.
we do not consider our liberties safe
in the hands of populous ignorance. E.v-
cry election since 1896 convinces us thai
ignorance should be eliminated from
elections, and downright stupidity dis
franchised.
I'VE hope the coming Kansas legisla-
ture will not try to simplify the ballot
and make it possible for brotheI boun-
GERS to vote as easily as the professors
in charge of our colleges.
Our balloting does not betray a spark
Of the enlightenment of this twentieth
century.
we ought to be required to write OPP
posite the name of candidate voted
for three of his virtues; and opposite the
name of his rival. ten of his notorious
crimes.
Then let judges of elections be in
fact as well as in name Judges w de-
Gliding between Them according. to the
evidence. ss
Elections have 2atered to ignorance
and fostered crime too long.
The first Tuesday after the first
Monday of this month, Ammo Dorlini
1902, Kansas elected to state Office a
man who cannot spell the unpaid cote"
he wears upon his back.
Norton county will harbor in its
beautiful court house for the next two
or more years a Christian gentleman
who believes that the Lords prayer is
~,
Revelations.
What else can one expect when ig-
norance exaIts ignorance?
If the revision of the present ballot
shall pass this winter in Topeka lobby
ing for some of the ballot reforms sug-
gested in this article.
Men should be able to solve an cleo
ton problem with more ability than to
vote 'er straight.
Let us make the way of the voting
fool harder"
Congressman Jackson of the Third
district is still laid up with his injured
leg, which was broken by fall early
in the campaign. Mr.. Jackson moved
about with the aid of a crutch during
the last days of the campaign, but it
was against the advice of his physicians
and now he is giving his leg rest. He
telegraphed congress Tuesday asking
for a leave of absence for two weeks,
which was granted.
Assistant Attorney General West be-
lives he is entitled to the gratitude of
the public which carries umbrellas. He
says that while he was county attorney
of Bourbon county he had a man ar
rested and convicted before a justice of
the peace for stealing an umbrella.
There is a suspicion. however. that the
man pleaded guilty and that the justice
of the peace is entitled to the credit. II
may be, too. that the general public
might not look upon such a move as a
creditable one. since the vast majority
would probably belong in the class with
the man convicted.
B. W. Hanna. Of salina. denies that