Amador ledger., 1908-04-10
CITY BALLOTS ARE
BADLY BUNGLED
Travelled Further and Fared Worse.

to voters for the city election we're
mailed to the electors early this
week. They we're printed III some
outside print shop, in face of the
contract obligation with the Ledger
as the official paper and job printing.
Our hIgh-minded contemporary. whose
proprietor exemplilied the quality of
his support of home industry as one
of the noble band of city officials
who sanctioned the population of a
contract, and turning down of native
labor in this case, explains that such
lob WAS not to be trusted in the
hands of one who was not body and
soul tied to the municipal outfit as
now constituted. By this he conveys
the idea that according to his notion,
a publisher is not entitled to any
consideration even under the lowest
bid system in the distribution of
printing patronage, unless he blindly
approves of everything that is done in
name of the trustees. That is about
the pinnacle OF his ethics from an
official point of view. The Ledger
Is pleased to state that it belongs In
an entirely different class. Though
the city and county printing we're
rolled into one, and swollen to one
hundred fold of present dimensions,
we would not veer one iota from our
convictions of duty to secure it.
This may in the estimation of men OF
his stamp be a foolish sacrifice of
self-interest. 1t is certainly sacri3
flee to which our unesteemed cotem-
porarY is stranger.
But coming back to this very
particular printing job which SEEM
ed to stagger the talent to construct
according to the latest tumble OF the
legislature mill-we find from the
samples that as we were fully aware
it mounts to the simplest and COM
moDest piece of work that a mere tyro
in the business should be able to
manage it. In workmanship the local
printer could double discount this
metropolitan production which bears
the Typographical union labeI-the
first piece of official job work from
Amador county that ever bore
similar outside impress.
Furthermore, we have no hesita-
tion in saying that the ballot is not
in accordance with legal require
ments. Passed upon critically it
would be condemned as misleading.
n the coming election there is con
test for two offices only-marshal and
clerk. There are two candidates for
each of these offices. voter can
only vote for one candidate for
either of these offices, and yet In the
blank columns there are two blank
lines and two headings, "t'or City
Clerk and Assessor" etc. The only
effect of this is to confuse or mislead
the voter. Two blank spaces for
these offices, naturally carries the
idea that the voter is entitled to vote
for two. The voter is no where in
formed on the ballot to vote for only
one person for clerk or marshal.
The mere novice should understand
the absurdity OF putting two blank
lines, with the usual heading "For
Clerk and Assessor" and "For Mar
shall and Tax Collector" over each
when only one person is to be voted
for. 1t is nothing less than an in
vitation tn the voter to mark his
ballot in such way that it would he
thrown out as illegal
In other respects the ballot does
not comply with legal requirements.
The heading instructions to voters"
and the instructions hereunder do
not conform to the law. The fact is
the ballots were evidently printed in
some onehorse shop where no such
printing had ever been done before.
The printer labored under the I'M
preston that he had to supply as
many blank spaces for writing as
there were candidates in the printed
column. And all this bungling was
done without contract after adver-
tised proposals, and by ignoring the
home printer who had been just
awarded the contract for city print
ing. 1t is a clear case of travelling
away from home to fare worse. A
contest would probably result in de-
claring the election held with such
misleading and illegal ballots illegal
and void.
s-~r-------.--