The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-07
VOTING MACHlNE.FACTORY
PLANT OF COLUMBIA MACHINE COM
PANy READY FOR OPERATION.
Deyice FavOrabIy Passed Upon in
sured-Machine Described.


chine Company at 121 West Georgia street,
thoroughly equipped. will begin operations
this week. The first work will be done to-
morrow, but all OF the machinery is not
IN place 1t will be nearer the middle of the
week before the plant is running full blast
The factory occupies the rooms formerly
used by the Allison Coupon Company
These rooms are commodious and we'll ar
ranged, affording a floor space of 10000
square feet At present the voting-ma-
chine company viii put seventy-fve men
10 work, but later on. when circumstances
make necessary enlargement of the
plant. from 200 TO 400 men will be employed.
To make room for these and to increase
the capacity Of the plant new factory
will be erected. 1t will consist of two
buildings. each two stories in height and
each 100 by forty feet. President Woods,
OF the company, does not know at the
present time where the new factory will
be located, but several sites are under con-
sideratiOn. Other cities are holding out
inducements for the Columbia Voting Ma
chine Company TO remove its plant from
Indianapolis, but with anything like an
"even break" Mr.. Woods is content to re-
main in this city.
The details of the organization of the
company and the nature of the device it
proposes to manufacture are more or less
familiar to everyone. j. NJ. Woods is presi-
dent, John b. Cockrum vice president and
DR. Franklin w. Hays secretary and treas
urer. 1t was organized TO manufacture the
machine invented by John Christensen, an
inventor who has spent many years and a
small fortune perfecting his wonderful ma
necessary ha 20 M
tanned and the company is in shape to take
up at once the labor of putting its ma
cnlnes on the market.
MACHINE APPROVED.
That there will be a market for them is
evident if letters to the officers of the COM
pany from nearly every State in the
Union are taken as evidence These let
tiers, for the most part, state that the ma
chimes have been examined either by off,
cial commissions or by private individuals
and that they have been found satisfactory
In every case. The Columbia voting ma
chine has been favorably passed upon by
commissions appointed in Indiana Con
nectfcut, Massachusetts and New Jersey
ana IL IS about to be considered by com
missions in a number of other States
LheTe are nineteen States that now have 8
law making voting machines compulsory
and the legislatures in the remaining State:
or the Union are expected to pass sinlilal
obtained by the machine i'm four States
me ofhcers of the company believe its flu
-tUre Is assured.
We could have sold $50 machines easil,
the last election" said President Woods
yesterday, If We had been prepared [,
manufacture them. but there is no hurry
me nrSt thing necessary is TO educate tn
public generally to the real value of tn
machine and TO show people that we hav
a device that is the most valuable thing o
the kind ever offered. Public opinion ha
about determined that voting machines ar
necessary, that they are economical, con
NenISnt, a sure guard against fraud an
great time savers. We are ready, there
lore. to begin their manufacture"
MARVEL OF SIMPLICITY.
The machine which the Columbia Ma
chine Company will put upon the marke
Is a thirty-key machine for general cleo
tons, to cost about 500. approximately, al
though orders for special elections ma,
make a difference in price. In a Marion
county election. for instance, where a fifty
four-key machine is usually necessary, tn
price will necessarily be higher In itsel
1t is marvel of complexity TO the un
initiated and Of simplicity to those verse
IN mechanics Roughly described it is
square. boX-like arrangement, about fiv
feet wide by four feet high and eightee
inches deep. On the face, or front is a re
production OF blanket ballot with tn
names on the ticket of each party printe
horizontally instead of vertically. FO
every name there Is a key, and at the ez
IRENE left there is q vertical row of key
for voting the straight ticket. In case Tn
voter desires to vote stright all that
necessary for him to 60 is TO turn the Ike
10 the left of the row of names upon HI
party ticket. That turned every othe
key is locked simultaneously and auto
matically, and fraud is absolutely impo:
sible In case ii is desired to vote
scratched ticket the elector may step frol
the left to the right, touching one key
each vertical row, making his choice fir:
of a Democrat then a Republican, then
PrOhibitionist, or a Populist, or a Social:
Labor candidate, and so on as he may d
size. One key in each vertical row touches
the whole row becomes locked and repet
ton canRot be made.
The vote is not registered until the electC
leaves the machine by swinging gat
which ii is necessary for him to push
one side 10 get out. That pushed, IL
rings and the vote cast by him is imm
diately counted. To enter the booth
front of the machine il is necessary fl
him To open similar swinging gate, whiC
sets the machine ready for voting. Viii
between the gates the elector, If he hal
pens To change his mind after voting for
candidate, may change his vote by
versing the key and TO registration
or exit TO swing before the registration
made.
The voting machine is extremely Il
geniOus and at the same time essential
practical 1t is designed to save time,
prevent fraud. to count quickly and
save money 10 the State All these o
nd no