The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1907-11-22
urges FAIR
ELECTION Law.
Kentucky Should Abandon
Old Partisan Methods.
No Party Should Have Majority
Control In Amy
Precinct.

The Leader has heard many express
sions of approval of its prediction that
Gov. Wilson's administration will for
ever bury the hatreds and animosities
of the Goebel contest and assination
period of Kentucky history and bring
about such an Era of Good Feeling
as prevailed in the Nation under the
Presidency of James Monroe, and all
the developments since the election
points to this happy contamination.
1t is semi-officially announced that
Gov. Wilson will in his inaugural adj
dress, or his message TO the General
Assembly, urge the creation of a bi-
partisan commission, composed of two
Republicans and two Democrats 70 adj
minister the affairs of all the asylums
and charitable institutions of Kentucky
and take them absolutely out of poll
tics, as has been done in many other
States. This would be such an improve
ment over the miserable political sys-
tenn under which these institutions are
now managed that thoughtful and
fairminded Republicans and Democrats
ought to welcome such a departure.
And there is no good reason why the
prisons and Reform Schools of Ken
lucky should not also be taken out oil
politics and put under the control OF
a commission divided equally between
both parties.
With such conservative man as
Mr.. Wilson in the Governors chair,
and both houses of the General AS
sembly pretty evenly divided, 1t ought
TO be possible for the Republicans and
Democrats 10 agree upon such abso-
lutely fair and non-partisan bills for
redistricting Kentucky into Congress
sional, Senatorial an Legislative dis
tricts as would meet the approval OF
all and be enacted into laws by com
mon consent, thus putting both parties
upon an equal footing in future etec-
tions. The Republicans ought to ask
for nothing more and ought 70 be sat
isfied with nothing less than this.
Nothing could contribute more 10 the
era Of good feeling than the repeal OF
the Goebel law and the general hodge
podge of. vicious and contractory reg
istration and election laws and the
massage of an entirely new and CO.
herent election law embodying the
best features of the tried and approved
systems of other States.
The Kentucky system is absolutely
wrong at it's very foundation in CIV
ing one party OF the other majority
control" at every stage of the cleo
ton, from the State Commission down
through the, county boards 10 the
precinct election officers, while the
approved method adopted in recent
wears in all the Northern States IS
TO divide every board equally between
both parties, which practically require
an agreement of Republicans and Dem
ocrats on every proposition and makes
crooked work or partisanship impos-
sible on either side.
In Ohio, for instance, all election
matters are under the control OF
board of four commissioners in each
county, two Democrats and Two Re-
publicans, Selected by the respective
party organizations. This board APP.
points all registration and election Of
ficers from party lists, holds schools
of instruction as to the proper inter-
pretation of the laws, lays out the
precincts, prints the ballots, receives
and counts the returns and certifies
the results. The rights of both par
ties are so well guarded, the election
officers are so thoroughly drilled in tn
laws. without regard to party lines, an
the spirit of fairness so generally pre-
wallis under the system Of equal rep
resentation that there is practically
no controversy on any point In the
proceedings. Each party has two
Judges and clerk in every booth, Sc
lected by their respective organiza-
lions. and clothed with equal power;
two separate sets of registration books
and tally sheets are kept, and every
thing is done in duplicate 30 that each
party has a. complete check on the
other. Hs.'; tsi,.l.. .fs.i
Under the system of equal represen-
tation in everything. all opportunity
for party advantage in the conduct OF
elections is eliminated. and the results
are accepted in COED spirit on all
sides. et9 - n n. <, - :.
Another excellent feature Of the Ohio
system which we overlooked is quad
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