The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-21
VOTING MACHINES
Interesting Letter Showing Real Attitude of State of New
 Jersey.

The following letter to the New York Evening Post regarding the at titude of the state of New Jersey on the voting machine doubtless will be read with considerable interest in this city, where the latest method of cast ing ballots has been the source of much discussions
 TO the Editor of the Evening Post:
 Sir There has been widely publish ed recently dispatch from Trenton which gave the impression that New Jersey after spending $500O00 on voting machines, had voted to discard them entirely, If this were true 1t might have @ tendency to discourage the use of voting machines in other places. But 1t Is incorrect
 The state of New Jersey has not ex- pended $5OOO00 on voting machines. The secretary of state was authorized by the legislature to spend $2OO,OOO With this he purchased 361 machines. About one-slXth of the l,200 election precincts in the state have signined, in lightly attended special elections, that they prefer the paper ballot If he chooses, the secretary of state may assign the machines thrown out In these localities to other precincts Whether he does or not, voting ma chimes will he used in 150 precincts where the movement to abolish them did not find favor
 New Jersey politicians like those in other states where the will of the peo- pie has compelled the installation of voting machines, started out to dis credit the plan and make it ridiculous The secretary of state was made the custodian of voting machines and giv- en power to designate which of the 200 precincts should use the 3Sl machines purchased. This created prejudice in the minds of the localities vehicle by which they were to vote In New York and all other states where voting machines are used each locality decides for itself whether it will vote by machine or paper ballot. T. also purchases the machines itself and has sole charge of them
 Now suppose that New Jersey ! threw out the voting machines in all | the precincts Would a return to the paper ballot insure greater secrecy to the voter, encourage greater honesty 1 IF elections, put the vote-seller and the vote buyer out of commission?
 Not at all Where voting machines are not used in New Jersey, the voting is by means of that old, old form of vest pocket prepared in advance, sin gle-rarty paper ballot" Doubtless where voters arc all intelligent and all are honest, that form of ballot is mighty convenient If all voters were honest and all voters intelligent there would be no need for the Massachus. etts the Australian, the New York or even for the voting machine form of ballot Unfortunately, that condi. ton does not prevail in all the elector- ate, hence the agitation for form of ballot, which will prevent fraud
 insure secrecy. and yet give every honest voter ample opportunity to ex
 press his choice of men to govern tht commonwealth,
 Whether one prefers the vest pocke
 or any other form of paper ballot ht
 is forced to admit that voting ma
 chimes do prevent fraud, do insure so
 crecy do afford every voter ample op
 portunity to vote for whom he please
 whether he wants to vote a straIgh'
 ticket or cast a split ballot-and fore an early announcement of the resuly
 Voting machines in New Jersey
 meant a step in the direction Af clean
 er elections. Elimination of voflnr
 machines means voting by method
 frowned upon in northern statei which lay any claim whatever to pro gross, whether in voting or in an,
 other direction
 That many newspapers of New ter
 sey agree to this estimate may R . seen from these quotations: Newark News--Tt is notorious fac that since the machines were estab
 ishcd in this city the districts wher
 they have been located have been clea , of vote buying
 Camden Courier-The New Jerse,
 voter who wants his vote to count , and favors honest elections, will vot to retain the machines wherever callet , upon to do SO,
 Trenton Times--Oppositio to tn
 usc of voting machines in New Jerse,
 is a reflection on the honesty of tn
 voters of the state. A mistake wa made in giving to any official the righ
 to locate and change the machines a !, will
 Jersey City Journal--Voting ma , chimes arc the best prevention agains
 frauds so far provided.
 Paterson Guardian-The homes people of New Jersey want votin z machines. The politicians of both par
 ties want to get rid of them, becaus , they put an end to fraud and corrup tion
 : Paterson Call.-The voting ma ! chine is many times simpler than th blanket ballot and 1t is immeasure ably more honest. W. A. M. 2