Middletown transcript., 1906-08-11
n1DDIrrows, DEL, Aua. II. 1905.
yoTrpS, ASSISTANTS

the appointment of Voters As
sistants by Governor Lea. The
Hvery Evening, in particular, is
trying to persuade the Governor
that he can refuse to obey the
law, and that he should do 50.
In this connection we think a
short history of the law will be
interesting.
The Legislature of 1891, having
Democratic majority, passed the
so-called Australian ballot law,
which provided for Voters As
sistants, whose duty was when
"Any elector who declares that
by reason of physical disability
or inability to read or write or
both, he is unable to mark or
alter his ballot, he may call to
his assistance the voters assis-
tants who, in the presence OF the
elector and in the presence of
each other, shall prepare the bal
lot for voting, &c. 4
Such remained the law until
1897, when the Democrats re-
pealed this provision, by passing
an act providing that after the
passage thereof, no person shall
be appointed as or, act and serve
in the capacity of voters assis-
tant, with the proyiso, that any
person who by reason of defec-
tive eye-sight, the loss of the use
Of one or both hands, or inability
to walk should be permitted to
take with him one or two cleo
tors to prepare his ballot for him.
This only lasted for two elections,
when the present law was passed,
which is The one under question.
1t provides that the voters as
sistant shall be stationed within
the room where the election is
being held. and shall, when re-
quested by any voter, assist such
voter to mark, alter, change,
scratch, or fold his ballot in the
presence of the voter and of each
other, &c.
The provision of the Section
referring to the appointment of
the assistants is as follows;
''SBcrIoN 1.-That on or before the
tenth day OF October in each and every
year in which general election is held
in this State, it shall be the duty Of the
Governor to select, appoint and commis-
sion an honest and capable man frsm
each of the two principal political parties
in each and every election district in this
State, including the districts in the City
Of Wilmington who shall be known as
Voters Assistants.
The County Committees Of the two
principal parties which at the general
election next preceding cast the highest
and next highest number of votes respec-
lively, in such County, shall each submit
to the Governor the names Of three men
for such appointment and from said
names the Governor shall select one to
represent each party, but in case no name
or names is or are submitted BY either or
both, the Governor shall then make such
appointment or appointments as Re may
see fl"
We call especial attention to
the wording Of the law. as the
papers of the opposition are de-
manding that the Governor shall
either refuse to appointor as the
EUery EUeniag cunningly suggests
ask the Judges to tell him
whether he has to appoint. The
law does not say "he may but
it says, distinctly, ''it shall be the
duty of the Governor to appoint,
and further on, after the names
have been submitted to him by |
the County Committees, "the
Governor shall select. . In case
the names are not submitted,
"the Governor shall then make
such appointment or appoint
ments as he may see fit.' But
always, he shall appoint. Does
any man, capable of knowing
shall from may, have to ask the
Judges or any other man, or
body of men, what the Governors |
duty is under this law.
THE TRANSCRIPT is not ad-
vised as to the Governor's wishes
or desires in this matter, but |
knowing the Governor as we do
as a law abiding Executive, we
take it for granted that he will
name the voters assistants. The
way to get good officers is to send |
in the names of three good men.
Then the committees may feel
assured that good men viii be
named. But, when such men are
named as officiated two and four
years ago, it is the fault Of the
Committees, and not the Gov
ernor.
AS to the desirability OF the
law that is another question. The
TRANSCRIPT hopes to see the
day when every voter in Della
-