New-York tribune., 1905-11-15
NEW-JERSEYS EXPERIENCE.

New-Jersey'S experience with various forms OF
voting may be interesting to those who are cast
| ing about for d perfect system of recording the
| popular will. About dozen years ago tnat
state after exhaustive investigation and discus
| sion adopted what is known as the Werts law,
| framed by George T. Werts, then State Senator
| and subsequently Supreme Court Justice and
Governor. Under this law each party ticket was
printed separately, under official direction and
control. There was no restriction on the clrcu-
lation of these ballots, and any number could
be purchased from the respective county clerks
Before entering the polling booth each quallned
voter received set of ballots and in the pootns
a plentiful supply was always on hand. Along
with the tickets the voter received official en-
velope, which could be had only from the cleo
tions board. When the voter entered the booth
he put into the envelope either one of the tickets
given to him by the officials or one prepared at
home and pasted as he saw fit. The envelope
incIosing the ballot selected, was then passed
into the ballot box, and there appeared to be
absolutely no way of telling how a man voted.
That law was. In the main, so satisfactory as
to pass through many tests without serious COM
plaints. Though enacted under Democratic au-
Spices no effort made to alter 1t materially
when the Republicans gained control of the state
government There were some things, however
which the law couldn't accomplish. 1t was I'M
able to make expert accountants out of ordinary
election officers, and in consequence there were
veXatiouS delays and errors, helped along 10
doubt by the fact that the polls are kept open
until Z O'Clock in the evening So 1t came about
that a longing for voting machines grew up.
These machines were to show the results inlmedl-
ately after the polls closed. and they were to De
| infalIible The state being rich, invested In
| number. and reports regarding their use were
| generally commendatory. The next year some
| more were purchased and no serious criticism
was heard 1t was not, however, until last week S
| election that q general test made under all
| kinds of conditions Machines were used In
| about one-third of the polling places-aristo-
cratic districts, tenement districts and all the
other varieties of district. Numerous complaints
are pouring III. Besides minor objections, these
points are made against the machine:
1t does not preserve the secrecy of the ballot
It initiates against independent voting and
in favor of straight tickets.
Both complaints are a natural outgrowth of
the independent spirit which has developed so
rapidly in New-Jersey during the present year
While straight tickets were popular it was all
| right because nobody could tell which ticket
man was voting for and the method was sim
pIcity itself. But everybody in the polling
place knows if the voter is splitting his ticket
and men of more than average intelligence have
found that the splitting process requires almost
the skill of mechanic in manipulating the ma
chine AS a consequence there is q loud and en-
phatic demand that no more machines be pur-
chased and that the use of those now owned by
the state be discontinued until the defects men
toned are overcome. Probably it won't be diff
cult so to arrange the mechanism as to make the
voting of a split ticket simple and easy
the voting of straight one. That done New
Jersey will probably be satisfied with existing
election laws.