The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-30
POLITICAL GOSSIP
VIM. Allen White Wants a Bal
lot r. RafOrm Law.
Thinks Massachusetts, System
Is About Right.
STOP USE OF CIRCLE.
Would Force Voters to Mark
Every Candidate.
StubbS Conference Considers
Proposed Legislation.
STOP USE OF CIRCLE.

William Allen White of Emporia is
out in a statement advocating a ballot
reform law in Kansas similar to the
ballot law of Massachusetts.
In this system, the present method of
printing each party ticket in a column,
headed by some party emblem, and
with a circle at the top for a straight
ballot is abandoned and instead, all
candidates for any given office are
placed together in alphabetical order,
with the name of their party after
them. There is no such thing as voting
a straight ballot" and each voter
must go down the whole ballot, picking
out the men for whom he wishes to
vote.
Mr.. White proposed this plan at the
conference of square deal leaders held
in Lawrence Saturday. The plan SEEM
ed to impress those who attended the
conference as a good scheme.
Under this plan, the independent
voter would certainly be the big it, in
Kansas politics. 1t is a plan which no
doubt will be violently opposed by the
politicians of strict partisan type, for
1t will be hard jolt to party organiza-
tions. In discussing the plan, Mr.
White says:
Every voter will have to vote for one
candidate in every list of officers, clear
simply pick out the rooster, and vote
for a rooster, or do his patriotic duty
by voting for a spreading eagle. The
ballot is not for children, but for think
ing citizens.
but on the other hand, no man can
invalidate his ballot. He can't lose his
vote by ignorance. If he votes for two
men for the same office. he simply loses
his vote on that one offlce- He doesn
have his intention questioned and his
ballot thrown out.
1T is all so simple and so direct and
so sensible that there can be no argu-
ment against it.
Moreover the cost of the ballot
would save every county from 5000 to
$4OO at every election. For the ballot is
much smaller than the one now IN
vogue in Kansas and that in Missouri
The Massachusetts ballot as it is print
ed is ten by sixteen inches except IN
presidential years when it is eighteen
by sixteen or about half the size of the
Kansas or Missouri ballots. The saving
in printing is a real item In the cost OF
elections, and should be considered.
But even if the Massachusetts ballot
cost twice as much as the ballot costs
now it would be preferable. It makes all
men equal. by aboliShing the slavery
to a straight ticket For a party Is
useful in this government only as the
party serves the people 1t is not i'm
portant that the party should win. But
If is important that the majority shall
rule. and in most of our elections
enough ballots are spoiled by the mis-
cradle party circle voting to change re
suits on many important places on @ evo
cheated by the party, and that Is un-
fair and undemocratic, no matter
whether the Republican party cheats
the people of Kansas or the Democratic
marty cheats the people of Missouri.
The people of Kansas and Missouri
have rights higher than those of any
party.
"And the party that builds its plat
forms. makes its laws and names its
candidates for the people for the indie
pendent voter-is the party that viii
win, and the party that gives the people
a ballot so that all voters are equal.
whether partisans or independents, is
the party that will control. The indie
pendent voter is grateful. He remem.
bers his friends Give the people OF
This country a secret ballot sensibly ar
ranged so that they can express them
selves fntelligently and without loss of
suffrage through invalidat1on OF the
ballot, put all the voters on equal terms
in the election booth and the people will
run this government and the parties
will have to put up cleaner or better
men and in the end the parties them
selves will be the gamers.
The Kansas Day club banquet this
year will probably be held at the Ma
sonic Temple The Masons are fixing
up an extremely big banquet hall there,
large enough to accommodate 800 peo-
pie and it will be a better place than
either the Auditorium or the state
house rotunda.
Herbert Hadley governor of Mis-
souri has not yet accepted the invita-
tion to be the principal speaker at this
banquet but will probably do so.
The Stubbs conference at Lawrence
Saturday was not a secret affair as
such conference generally are. 1t was
attended by newspaper men. as well
as by the politicians specially invited
bv Mr. Stubbs. Among those present
were: J. L. Bristow, nominee for the
United States senate; D. R. Anthony,
representative from the First congress
sional district; E. H. Madison, repre-
sentative from the Seventh district; ].
n DoIley, probable speaker of the
hose of Representatives Fred S. Jack
son, attorney general; John Dawson,
assistant attorney general; Fred H.
Quincy, state senator from Saiina:
clad Hamilton, senator from Topeka;
r T.. Brady, state senator from Law
renee: C. A Stannard, Emporia; John
d. Myers, Holton; c. s Kirkland. Sa-
lima; o. w. Dawson, Great Bend; c.
A. KimbaIl, Manhattan; A. NJ. Story
Manhattan; H. G. Larimer, Topeka; NJ.
r Amrine, Council Grove; William
renee; A. G. Mitchell, Lawrence; Thos
BIodgett, wichita; Z. D. Flagg. Perry
Mr.. Stubbs expressed himself in IA
vor of a utilities committee of five
York state. This commission would
replace the board of railroad commits
sioners and would be appointive by
the governor after the expiration of
the present terms of the state railroad
commission.
Mr. stubbs was also in favor of
placing the State university, State
Agricultural college and state normal