Los Angeles herald., 1910-05-08

HI HE present California election laws
are the results Of the machines"
- successful efforts, extending over
q decade, to corrupt the Australian
ballot law as 1t was originally adopted
by this state during the early '9Os OF
the last century.
At the last session Of the legislature
two attempts were made to correct,
in a measure at least, the abuses of
the present law. The machine
fought both reforms and in the clos
ing hours of the session won by a
narrow margin. The election laws re-
main unchanged.
Early in the 90s the demand for re-
form of the election laws forced the
machine" into permitting the adop-
tion of the Australian ballot as the
method of voting in this state.
Under the new law the voter was not
only called upon to discriminate be-
tween parties at the polls, but between
individuals.
This was accomplished by arranging
the names of the candidates on the
ballot with their party designations
under the heading of the offices for
which they aspired. Thus all the can
didates for governor were grouped to-
gether under the head governor
with the name of the political party
same was done with the names of the
other candidates, under the particular
office to which each aspired down to
township constable.
The advantage of such arrangements
is apparent. If the voter were gov
erned by party considerations alone he
had no difficulty in picking the cam
didates named by his party. But it
was just as easy to pick men because
of other considerations, their integrity
and fitness for the office to which they
aspired, for example.
1t developed that such was the ten
dency of intelligent voters. The ma
chine found itself practically helpless,
with men of high character being Sc
lected for office.
The Australian ballot for the mo-
ment threatened the "machine's"
strangle hold upon the state. The
machine" however, met the issue
with characteristic ability. The Aus
trallan ballot was deliberately changed.
This was done by arranging the names
of the candidates urder the name of
the party that had nominated them,
instead of grouping them under the
name of the office to which they as
pred. The change was made on the
theory that the average voter would
want to vote for the head of his ticket
and once started down the party col
umn would find 1t easier to- vote the
straight party ticket than Ito go over
into another party column to select
men better qualified for office than his
own party nominees.
In practice this theory was found to
be justified. The machine put popu-
lar men at the head of its party ticket,
with its unworthy candidates further
down. AS there was no discrimination
between individuals under this system,
the unworthy were too often swept
into office on party issues, or because
of the popularity of the head of the
ticket.
The next step in the corruption of the
Australian ballot law was the intro
duction of the party circle
The party circle was placed at the
head of the party column. The voter
wishing to vote his ticket straight, by
making a cross in the party circle voted
for every candidate on the ticket.
Under provisions of the law govern
ing distinguishing marks" and pre-
vailing court decisions regarding them,
the average voter looked upon the par
tv circle as the safe way to vote. a
blot on the ballot, a cross in the wrong
place. even the mark of an unclean
finger. NAV lead to the rejection of the
entire ballot.
AS A result, the elector. "to save his
vote" fell into the custom or voting
the party circle. In practice the ma
chine has found this most advan-
tageous By hooking up to a popular
cause or a popular man, the machine
has been able to control where other
wise it would have failed.
For example: In 1904 California gave
Roosevelt an unprecedented majority.
No fewer than 2O5,226 Californians vot-
ed for the Republican Roosevelt elect
ors to SO, ,294 who voted for Democratic
electors. To large number who want
ed to "save their vote for Roosevelt,
the party circle was deemed the surest
and safest way. SO they voted the
party circle, and in so voting for Roose-
Welt voted into office perhaps the worst
legislature California ever had, ana
congressional delegation the maJorlty
Of whom were not at all In sympathy
with the Roosevelt policies.
Particularly has the party circle
worked against the reelection of goou
Judges. Repeatedly judges whose rec, rec
ord on the bench has won them hlsh
esteem of laity and bar have oeen de-
seated for reelection because OF the ac-
cident of belonging to the minority
nartv. and having the balance OF party
Ft.aIo ,yo+ac AGAINST them.