The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-01-03
AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
aND ELEcTioN LAWS sue
eEsTEp.

49, No I6GF
Wo Judge
IJonn " Mason ih nj ada
dsdt ii
d WI Ne
Heard from heres ha ton
address referred The Tie
Eegslatiye committee 1f the
ciaticn with direction aponl
III d tie next esslons II under
Istood that Judge Mason wiiI insist
upon having these ugsesti5ns 'srbs
United IL some tottni thenext Leg
Islature!
The Hrst suggestion e IN the ma
tture Of an amendment to the State
EconsHtution. exemptlng from taxa
lion homesteads. His notion IS that.
the state should encourage IS citi3a
gems in securing their own homes he.
said:
1t has long been the policy Of this
country to give protection BY legtsla-
ton to our mines, factories and work.
shops. 1t occurs % me that II would.
he. well for our legislators to do some;
thing to increase the number of the
home builders. The people Of the
State should in my opinion so amend.
the state constitution IS to exempt
from taxation one.half the value Of
the homestead in the actual posses.
sion and occupation Of the owner as
a home for himself and family, not
exceeding in the aggregate the value
of 100000, that is an exemption Of
not more than $4,000. This would be
an inducement to heads Of families to
become owners Of property, and as a
consequence, permanent citizens. Hay.
ing interests to- look after, they would
be more careful what kind Of laws are
ENACTED and how they are enforced"
The second suggestion is by way Of
an amendment to the election laws.
Judge Mason is thoroughly convinced
that the weak point in our present
system Of holding elections is in per
hitting the poll clerks to enter the
booth with an ignorant voter for the
purpose Of making up his ticket. The
Ignorant voter Is at the mercy Of the
poll clerks. They make up the ticket
at they please and without any possl-
btlity Of detection. On this question
he says:
Enough votes may be secured In
this way to change the result, Of any
election If the corrupt clerks can
be procured. No law should continue
on the statute books which affords
such easy avenues Of fraud. l will not
say we should return to the old bal.
hot, when fraudulent and misleading
tickets were as abundant as forest
leaves in summer time, and ballot box
stufRng could be INDUCED in vita i'm
punity, but certainly our Legislators
can devise some better means Of aiding
Ignorant voters in preparing their
tickets. Let me suggest a remedy.
Let the ballots be prepared, identified,
delivered to the voter, and taken by.
the voter into the booth, as at present
authorized by law; but do not permit.
the poll clerks or any. one else to- c
company the voter into the booth, Re
quire the voter to prepare his own
ticket, and in order to simplify the
ticket, 50 that any one, whether ne
can read and write or not, may pre-
pare hls ticket, let IL be made up from.
the entire ballot by marking with a
cross. Of in some other manner the
name Of the person the voter deoires.
to vote for, Instead. Of etasinghl all hgs
one ticket and inserting the names
where changes are dostred. By this
means no name would be written.
Then, permit the voter to take into
the booth a sample ballot previously
prepared by him, and aided BY such
81 his friends asfhe may wish to 4ad,
wise with. Aided by this sample ticket
any nan Of ordinary intelligence could
prepare his ticket. Then the ballot
cast by him would besecret or any as.
sistance required by him would come
from persons selected by himself. The
man who could not make out q ticket
ID this way Ii too ignorant to aaye 9
vote. To this there should be one. ex.
ceptlon. A voter who has had the
misfortune to lose bothhands, Of have
them SO disabled as to make 1t inpos'
slble for him to make the marks indt'
eating the names Of the persons for
whom he wishes to vote, shouldbe per