The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-10-17
BALLOT OF THE FUTURE.

BALLOT OF THE FUTURE.
There is a growing sentiment among those men
and women who not hidebound in their parti-
sanshp that the day will come when the candidates
for all offices will be placed ballot grouped al
phabetically under the of the Office to which
they aspire and that this form of ballot will super
sede the present form of placing the candidates on
the ballots under party designations. Not only has
the sentiment grown but the endeavor is being made
to have such form adopted in New York state, and
probably elsewhere. Inasmuch as this is advocated
reform in the election laws, the practical poll
tcians are strenuously opposed to the change. The
practical politician finds in the preservation of
party ties his strongest ally For if he can make up
his ticket, place it under emblem to vote which
all that is necessary is to draw cross in the cir
Gle under the emblem and can make the voter be-
lieve that it is unsafe to Scratch" the ticket for
fear of making a mistake and thus losing his vote.
he virtually compels the voter to 'vote it straight
or threatens him with disfranchisement And the
more or less conscientious voter, in many cases,
somewhat bewildered by the long and complicated
rules for casting ballot enters the booth and makes
his mark, voting for party, giving his Endorsement
to all the candidates, good and bad, when he knows
there are several candidates the other ticket he
would like to vote for better men, perhaps, though
the difficulties of voting for them such to
make the perfunctory at the head of the ballot
his sole contribution to the perpetuation of gov
eminent by the people.
The advocates of the adoption of the new form
of ballot which would place the names of the cand-
dates under the title of the office to which they
pire, grouped ALPHABETICALLY insist that such form
would not in any way interfere with the constitu-
tonal privilege of voting for whom one Desires but
would rather tend to compel the voters to inquire
into the names and qualifications of the candidates
on the ballot and lead them to discriminate in the
selection of public officials after the conventions
have done their work of nomination. Furthermore
the fact that the voters would thus be compelled, if
it their desire to vote nteigently to pick out
their candidates without the aid Of party emblems
ether designation, would be strong incentive to
the party machines, in making nominations, to pick
out men who would command the support Of the
voters on their merits rather than the regularity
of their party affiliations.
The politicians and the interests which they rep
resent the quiet have profted for a long time on
spirit OF party fealty and party enthusiasm among
the people. The interests which hope to profit by
the election of their men have given largely to the
campaign funds of the party, and sometimes to
beth parties and thus hold mortgage on the Office
seekers before hey are elected. Nominations have
been made and even the members of the conven-
tions do not know who made them. The slate is
produced, and the bosses see that it goes through.
And the members of the convention, in order to
prove their loyalty if they are slapped in the
face by the machine, pledge their undivided support
to the candidates nominated, and thus the game is
After the old system of voting got so unbearable
that the people demanded change, the politicians,
of nearly all the states gave the people new form
of ballot patterned after the Australian ballot but
so mutilated that its effect, at first thought TO be
good, has been found Ineffective in producing the
best results Legislators in their endeagors 10 make
il effective. have made il ineffective by the comp-
cations added from time to time. The true Aus
tralian ballot has, under the manipuatons Of the
legislatures guided by philosophical politicians
been rendered clumsy instrument, and the expert
boards are sometimes unable to interpret
the intent of the voter.
The machine, which is simple in manipulation
although somewhat complicated with nteroczing
devices in its mechanism, has been hailed as long
felt want, but the politicians have always since the
machine came into use warned the voted against
attempted scratching, for fear of mistake.
All through the political history of America, and
all the election chicanery, the practical politician
has endeavOred, and has succeeded in his endeavor