The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-22
He GIVES IT up.
w. j. Bailey AbandOns His
Speaking Tour.
Hurries to the Bedside of His
Dying Father.
COMMITTEE IN DOUBT.
Republican Leader Is Probably
Out of Campaign Permanently.
Little Hope That His Father
Will Recover.
COMMITTEE IN DOUBT.

made his last speech in the campaign
HIS speech at Fort Scott last night was
4 cut short by a telegram from Bailey
\ vile announcing that his father was
sinking and asking him to come nome
at once.
If Mr.. Bailey. sr., should rally it is
possible that the son may fill those
dates close at hand which he can reach
without being gone long from nome
but the Republican state central com
mittee is not figuring on Mr.. BAILEY
campaigning much more.
AS yet no definite arrangements have
been made for filling his dates. 1t IS
possible that the committee will have to
pick up speakers as they can and no
i one speaker will be detailed to carry out
Mr.. Bailey's campaign.
It is no wonder that the average vo-
ter is unable to grasp all the intricacies
of the new ballot law. Even the persons
who have been studying the law for
months and whose duty it is to In
struct county clerks and county attor-
neys so that they, in turn, may instruct
the election boards. who will instruct
the voters, are sometimes mystifed over
its provisions.
A. ]. Whtmore, chief clerk of the Of
fee of the secretary of state. is the
man who looks after the details of GER
tifying down nominations and other
things in connection with the ballot
law. He has gone over the law good
many times to familiarize himself with
propositions that he doesn't know how
to deal with. Then he applies to the
attorney generals office.
In the attorney generals office AS
sistent Attorney General Clayton passes
on all questions pertaining to the ballot
law. It is his speciality and he has
made an extensive study of it. looking
up the laws of other states and all
court decisions which might have a
bearing on the Kansas law.
About the only thing doing" now
about the state house is passing prob
lens in connection with the ballot law
Almose every mail brings inquiries to
either the attorney generals depart
ment or TO the secretary of state ask
ing for an opinion regarding the make
up of the ballot or what effect a GER
tain kind of marking will have. Some
OF these things have been explained
over and over again, yet county attor-
neys evidently hold opinions sometimes
which would invalidate their ballots il
they attempted to mark their ballots
according to the opinions they seem to
hold.
For instance an inquiry which came
In Yesterday asked if it would invali-
date a ballot if. in county where the
Democrats have no county ticket the
voter should vote in the circle at the
top of the Democratic state ticket and
then switch over into the Peoples col
umn to vote for county officers by MAX
ing crosses in the squares. Mr. CLAYTON
ruled that such a marking would invali-
date the entire ballot
, A question came from Atchison coun-
ty regarding the wording which should
be used in placing a good roads tax
proposition on the ballot The ballot
law provides that all such propositions
shall be placed on the ballot by giving
the title of the proposition and twt,
squares, one labeled yes" and the
other no" Yet the special law under
vhich the tax is to be voted. and which
was passed after the ballot law says
that the proposition shall be printed in
this form: For the proposition. .
Against the proposition.' with l
square after each one
Judge Clayton is rapidly turning grav
under the rapid fire of ballot problems
( which are coming in upon him
would like to see the whole system
wiped out and voting machines put in
instead" he said today. "I think a
good ldea would be for the next legisla-
ture to offer, say s5.O00 for the right to
manufacture a voting machine for 1se
in Kansas elections. 1 imagine n nret+,
good patent right could be purchased
for that price, with the understanding
that it should not affect the patentee'e
rights in other states Then a miami
could be established in the panitentiarv
and convict labor used for the manufac-
ture of the machines. Enough could
probably be manufactured for use in
the next state election
L believe it would be a big saving In
expense in the long run and where the
HldCnl1E system mas been tried hae
given good satisfaction The printing ~
ballots for this election viii cost The
state $4,000 or $4,000. Then under tbf
present system 1t is frequently neces.
sary 20 pay judges and clerks for +ITe
days time because of the long time II
takes to count the ballots Under the
nacnlne system as soon as the DOIls
close the machine can be opened an6
the ballots p; @ already counted Wber
one figures Jha. ii requires five nerson.
Ii every rreCrct at three dollars oa1
Il can be readily seen that there wouIS
be big saving in this direction
Then it would obviate all of thi,
danger that a voter may lose his vote
think the machine idea is a good one.
Across the top Of each ballot will h
printed the following Instructions:
This ballot should be marked in ono n
two WAYS with a pencil having bIacl
lead: First, to vote a straight ticket ma l.
cross mark within the circle beio1
one of the devices or embIems show
thereon, and not elsewhere on the hauat
The second way is not to make any mar
in the circle below any device or en1bler
on the ballot. but make a cross X mar
IN tHt sq9sie AT the right of the name a
each candidate for whom YOU desire +
vote on whatever ticket his name NAV b
found. To vote for person whose nam
does not appear on the ballot write ~
name of such person under the gitIe Of tn
office in the blank column. and make
cross X mark in the square at the rioh
Of his name, Any other mark than III
cross X mark used for the purpose Of ,-oi
ing. or any erasure made on his baIlo
makes it void. and no vote thereon can h
counted provided that when a VOTE ~
properly marked his ballot in the circle !
the head Of the ticket the narxiner T
the names by proper cross X mari- in y
the squares to the right Of the names q
the same party ticket shall not prevent tn
counting Of such ballot. II you tear or d
II and obtain another"
Senator Burton spoke at Atchison l.,
night preceding the play "A Devil
Lane" The house was crowded as ~