The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-10-24
DIR PRESENT BALLOT LAW.

Despite what has been said to the
contrary, experience has proven that
the ballot law passed at the extra
session of 1901 is one Of the fairest
that has ever been enacted i'll any
State. In a large measure it is pat
termed after the law ofMassachusetts
and in many points the provisions of
the laws are very similar. The step
is in touch with modern progress and
is reaching towards the educational
qualification of the voter if he wishes
to cast an intelligent ballot. Itdoes
not necessarily mean that the man
must be able to read and write but
it requires some little judgment in
order to mark the ticket in a manner
so that it will count. Theexperience
has been watched with great deal
of interest in other States and our
neighboring commonwealth, Penn
sylvania, is now making the most
strenuous efforts to have a law
similar to ours enacted.
The Philadelphia Press in a recent
editorial comes out in the strongest
terms in favor ofthe proposed change.
Itsays:
"The decision ofthe Dauphin Coun-
ty Court invalidating the Union
party nominations for State offices
made in this city furnishes a new in
stance of the effect of the TECHNICAL
ties and niceties of the Baker Ballot
law in defeating independent political
action. Neither the regular nor the
mob convention was able to steer a
safe course through the zigzag Of
legal formality. Probably the de-
cision of the Court cannot be justly
questioned. The Court is so over
run with nomination cases" that it
has no time for conducting its ordi-
nary business.
"The bill which has been prepared
by the organized friends of Ballot
Reform and submitted to the consid-
Grafton of the leaders of both politi-
cal parties would do away with the
party column the party circles
the blanket-ballot' and all the pre-
liminary hunbug of the present
method. All nominees would be
grouped on the ballot under the title
of the office for which they are nomi
mated, with the party designation Of
each nominee following his name.
The ballot would be simple affair,
readily understood by any man who
could read, and about one-sixth the
size of the the present blanket ballot.
There would benz contests about the
place on the ballot because there
would be no resulting or unfair adj
vantage to be obtained.
"The Republican Machine in Penn
sylvania, which is irresponsible for the
party column monstrosity, with
which it succeeded in perverting the
simple Australian method, will be
loath to abandon the dishonest adj
vantage thereby obtained, and the
people Of Pennsylvania, made justly
suspicious by the breaking of past
Ballot Reform pledges will be mis-
trustful of any new pledges; but it is
quite probable that the friends of
Ballot Reform will again have assur-
ances of cooperation from Chairman
Quay. What these assurances are
worth can best be measured by glanc-
ing over the list of Senators and
Representatives which the Machine
is doing it's best to send back to
Harrisburg. To get Ballot Reform
from this array of would-be legisla-
tors would be very like an attempt to
pluck figs from thistles.
NR. CeAS7LEMo4N'S LETTER.
Elsewhere in this issue, we publish
letter written by Rev. X. Allen
Castleman to the editor of the Cecil
Wing on the workings of the Local
Option law in Hartford county. This
letter was in response to an inquiry
from the editor of the Wing, who
was anxious to lay before his read
ers a statement ofthe practical work
inqs of the law, and his selection of