The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-10-13
; Political
! Education

in the world, they were, IN many
many voters that they could efficient effect
i've, that they offered goodperaps the best opportunity for
It is one Of the curoes Of our political life that especially
the cities political campaign meetings are not usually attended by
those classes which think OF themselves as the better classes that
prosperous classes the better educated classes and
generally looked the intelligent classes that
those classes whose employment brings them into contact with
wider variety OF matters
Of campaign meetings. is frequent observation in Ans
that among abong and artisan classes there often
Neener knowledge of political facts than the classes whose
occupation them with mercantile deangssuch classes for
business for themselves in small way-ho classes short whose
work though may be and in great part with the hand as well as
the head call for working clothes and fact
qure dressing with and scrupulousness.
mainland brought this fact very wildly and
surprising The Australian system OF voting such
radical departure from the methods that had been in vogue for many
that clearly that its first would be failure from
sheer ignorance of its practical applications unless something was done
instruct the in the system Accordingly the laws adopting
the system rule provided that the officers election should have
sample ballots printed previous the election and should establish
places OF instruction convenient the voters where the latter might
be given practical demonstration OF the method of marking ballots
and voting In Illinois, the law very fully into t1
subject and provided means that would leave no one any excuse o
knowing how mark his ballot make legally effective
On the city OF Chicago under this law schools OF instruction
aDhhed every ward and every precinct Much ado was made
about the necessity OF these in the worngmen wards and in the
poorer parts Of the city Homl addressed the election
officials on their duty to these classes the assumption being that
the parts the where the classes the
gent lived they not least necessary
The election officials nevertheless established schools every
OF the city, following the direction the law rather than the
There in the city well situated badly situated that
he did not have opportunity learn how mark his ballot in
of these schools of instruction.
AS the election approached there good deal of
pressed for fear that the number ballots that would have be
thrown because improperly and illegally Marked especially the
"workingmen's" wards might vitality affect the result
What the surprise then the day after election, when it
found that in the workngmen wards in the poorer quarters of
the city number of spoiled ballots almost negligible guam
t while the best precincts OF the city regions where
the percentage college graduates highest and where work
ngmen lived there high fifteen
OF the ballots thrown by the judges Of election because
not properly and legally marked The surprise great that
sought.
1t seek 1t found the fact that the work
ngmen and the poorer classes the people who political
meetings ashamed acknowledge that they knew nothing
about something that entirely them and the
schools of instruction. and learned how mark their ballots before
the election.
But among the better classes" pride that
would acknowledge the possibility knowing anything
simple how mark ballot indicate the they
wanted for These would humble themselves 60
"schOol of instruction along wa
how to mark them The Investigations that the
the fact set on foot resulted showing that large bust
ness experts in handwriting microscopy and other branches of
pert knowledge had found themselves unable properly their
ballots.
The classes that political meetings find in them of
valuable political and civic instruction that those who do go
them very often wholly miss.