Evening journal., 1904-11-15
A PRoPosEp ELEo1loN LAw.

- - possible election law, winch aims
10 make voting less cumbersome. and TO
give every man, no matter how ignor-
ant. an opportunity to make up the
ticket he intends to vote with some as
surance that It viii not be spoiled. We
believe that 1t would also have the ef-
feet of making election bribery much
more difficult It Is not intended as
complete or perfect, but as a suggestion
Of the lines along which we believe our
election law should be framed. We
welcome suggestions or criticisms.
Each party shall be allowed to print
its own ballots to contain the names
of the candidates Of that party only.
A general quality OF white paper shall
be designated by law. AZ each cleo
tlon the clerks of the peace each for
his own county, shall, designate the
size of the ballots; and a margin Of
one quarter Of an inch under or over
shall be allowed. only black ink shall
be used In printing.
These ballots may be printed at amy
time before election and in as large
quantities as desired. with the pro-
vision that before the polls open. twice
the number of ballots that any party
cast at the previous election shall be
deposited with the election officers.
Voting a mixed or scratched ticket
shall be done by stickers only. and
these shall also be white with the
names printed in black ink. They
shall be furnished by any party that
wants to use them, and must bear the
name OF the candidate and the Office
he has been nominated for. And
vote for any person FOR an office for
which he was not nominated will in
validate the ballot.
No ticket shall have on it pen or
pencil or any other mark by which
the ballot of particular person may
be designated
The election officers shall place IN
each boc.N ballots OF the several par
ties and see that no voter enters a
booth when such tickets are not
there. A penalty shall be provided
for removing ballots from the booth.
The clerks of the peace shall pro-
vide envelopes Of "a uniform variety,
gummed. so that they may readily
be sealed.
When the elector enters the election
room he shall announce his name. and
after his right to vote has been de-
termined he shall be handed an Off
cial envelope and ne shall pass into
the booth, and place inside of the en-
velope the ticket ne wishes to vote.
seal IT and hand it to the inspector.
Any elector who fails to seal his
envelope, or who I'm any manner
makes known how he intends to vote
while in the election room shall for
lett his right TO vote and his vote
must be rejected.
In reading the ballots all the en-
Nelopes shall be taken from the box
and scrutinized by the election officers
before they shall be opened. Any
writing or other designating mark on
an envelope shall invaldate the bal
lot IL contains. The election officers
shall decide before opening any of the
envelopes which they deem invalid
and these shall be Immediately re-
turned to the box, before the other
envelopes are opened and shall not
again be taken therefrom.
Then the remaining envelopes shall
be opened. and no ballot shall now
be declared invalid because OF desig-
mating marks on any remaining en-.
velopes.
In reading the ballots any mark OF
pen OF pencil or any other mark tha
is evidently intended as a designating
mark, shall invalidate the ballot
Provided, nevertheless, that marks
from soiled hands shall not be deemed
a designating mark.
There shall be four copies OF thi
act posted at every election room be
fore the polls open, two outside an'
two inside, and one for each election
officer shall be provided.
Now let us see how such a law q
carefully drawn ana faithfully carrie,
out would work IN practice. In the frs
place, it would DO away with the cum
bersome ana confusing blanket ballot
/ In the second place. it wou0 siHa Ou