The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-01-14
The Daily Gate City

the notices. AS to the last item, it is
my judgment that the most satisfac-
tory way to handle that is for the leg
islature to fix a specific amount that
shall be allowed for these publications.
which amount should, of course, be
| reasonable.
| am impressed with the idea. also,
| that perhaps June is not the best
month in the year for holding the
! primary. 1t is month in which the
farmers of necessity must be engaged
in their farm work. No later date
would obviate this difficulty unless it
be some time after harvest and that in
my opinion would bring the primary
! too near the date of the general cleo
/ ton. | am inclined to believe that
March would be more satisfactory
| find many other features of it which
should receive your careful consider
alton
Simplify the Ballot.
In 1892 what is known as the Austria
liam ballot system was adopted in this
! state. AS originally adopted four
methods of voting were provided. A
straight ticket could be voted by plac-
ing a cross in the circle at the head
of the ticket or by leaving the circle
unmarked and placing cross III the
/ square in front of the name of each
candidate of the party. A mixed tick
ct could be voted by placing a cross
in the circle at the head of any party
and then placing cross in the square
in front of the name of any candidate
for whom it was desired to vote on any
other ticket. Or mixed ticket could
| be voted by emitting to mark the cir
Gle and by placing cross in the
square in front of the name of every
candidate for whom it was desired to
vote. The newness of the plan and
the different methods OF marking re-
suited in the making of many mistakes
and led to a considerable demand for
the removal of the circle. | must con-
fess that the suggestion appealed very
strongly to me- as it did, also, to many
others The matter was taken up by
Iue extra aStSolOH VI Iic tNSIsy soi-Aeii
general assembly and the law was so
modified that the circle was to be used
for straight voting only. In my ludg-
ment this last method was reasonable
and should have remained the law.
However. the demand for the removal
OF the circle continued until the thirty
first general assembly removed it.
We have now voted two or more
times under each of the three meth
DDS above referred to and by compari-
son should be able to judge as to
which is the better and more satisfac-
tory l have looked with some care
as to the results under each of the
plans and am thoroughly convinced
that the present method does not af-
| ford sufficient ease with which to vote
straight party ticket, and by reason
O. this fact loss of votes occurs to
| all candidates below the head of the
! ticket. This was not true under either
CT the former methods or if true the
loss was very much less. AS proof
OF the correctness of this statement
let me call your attention to the fact
J that in 1892, when the marking of the
ballots was according to the original
plan provided for under the Australian
/ system, the combined vote of the Re-
publican and Democratic parties for
president was 416,162 and for secretary
of state it was 6,147, or a difference
Of only fifteen votes. In 1896, under
the same method of marking, the vote
for president was 519,034, while for
secretary of state it was 5I3,527. or
493 more votes for secretary of state
than for president. In 1900, under the
second method provided, but while the
circle was still upon the ballot, the
| combined .ote of the two parties for
president was 516,964, while for secre-
tary of state it was 515.454, or only
| | ,510 more votes for president than for
secretary of state. Again, in 1904,
under the same method, the combined
vote for president was 4oT, 04S and for
secretary nj state it was 523,5 27, or
only 1,76S difference. But in 1906, the
first election held after the circle was
removed from the ballot, the com
Dlleu NOle Vi CilS Two par lSS LOT SON-
ernor was 413,161, while for secretary
of state it was only 392,071, or a loss
of 21,090 votes, being loss of more
than one vote in every twenty cast
for governor, and were the comparison
made on some other Office than that of
! secretary Of state, the difference would
be still greater. Likewise in the re-
cent election, there We're 475,9S1 votes
cast for president and only 44S ,056 for
secretary of state, or 1895 more
votes cast for president than for sec
rotary of state. being loss of about
one vote in every seventeen cast for
president. This loss of votes is. in my
Judgment directly due to the removal
of the circle from the ballot The fig
ures do not indicate that there would
be any particular advantage to either
party should the circle be restored, but
I believe that an easier and uuickerj
method should be provided for the
man who wants to vote straight
J.;