The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-03

n
the aeld this ysar. A. T.
to their national and oeeea
at least four Of them ws4
Gus tickets in each Of H.
ties Of the country. each -
divided into various
borouRhs or cities. with
tickets for local omcss- In 90
there il In the land one CO.
each two dozen voters expseee
polls. S1
Dven though our election
not yet what they should De.
tion manners have vastly z.ls
.ince the days when the typtcnA
place. either q rumshop Or
lent room adjoining. vas the
constant hrawling and disosdsEs ~
bribery and intimidation wefa ~
hsiSht OF effectiveness: hscAupe
one could see how his neighbor
Indeed. within the memory u
alive. our election etiquette haA
many places progressed mr.
! its standard over 5000 years 49,
the Roman historian, Dion. coml
when the people insisted upe
| ing their votes. the young -
hindered and took the urns
boxes) from those appointed =
them. and drove them out
| forum
How Vsti.g Hes ChanDs
The accompanying etching Il IT.
old painting in the PhiIadelpheA
| torical Society depicting scene -
| order before q polling place -
/. Of our cradle of liberty. Indepeo4
| Hail, in 1915. the year that jams
| roe was first elected. In fhOoe
| candidates furnished their own -
| and their henchmen hung Ab0ne
| polling places to press them on 49,
| ana see that they were deplsite4 -
| open ballot boxes In some - <
l States elections were conducted ~ &
and nay vote IN the early dAy1
In Kentucky this system was leoA1
local elections until only tweneyr
years ago. In Jackson County
State, II used to be the custom t. g
q sheriff by arranging the frie049z
one candidate on horseback on 0ao r.
Of the road, and the friends e.
other candidate on the opposite ~
the longest line winning the eleee
But Kentucky saw established On
soil the first Australian voting b0e
adopted in this country. In 1855.
How They WIN Vote Tues1nz
| All Of Tuesdays votes for Preee@9
will be cast according to the Au94l
Ian system. or modification Of 4. 4
| cept in Georgia and the CaroliuA1.s
Georgia the Australian system 10 sc1l
times used in municipal primartcss
this Ia left to party discreffon A.
not required by law.
The fact that all of the States 4
cept three now use tho AustrA1
system means fair progress. conMN
ing the fact that 1t was never uge4
q national election until that Of Hna
SON. in 1883, and then only In Aae.
chusetts and Louisville. 1t geneFq
followed the system by which the =
tty instead OF the candidate suppl
and distributed the ticket. and 4 ~
| q step further by providing tacksea
! all parties paid for and distributes,
| the State and deposited in indtvf4
booths or stalls guaranteeing PRIV
to voters.
IDDrUveA vstinE FafapheFna1on
Where this system has been cAFf
nearest to perfection the voting boz
Iare small portable buildings owned
1.-THE community and. that they nsAy
L
placed on the public highways o..
the public squares that every stde
texposed to the glare Of publicity.
lyet, however. the typical polling -
in our cities and towns is ren
room opening into the street
In ten Of our States part IT =
Of Tuesdays balloting will be done
voting machines. devices ON the
register and arithmometer prancel
which automatically count the yc
for each candidate and give refu
the minute that the booth - ciOl
On these machines the voter reeo
his choice in private and - able 70 q
his ticket, although unable to req
without leaving tine booth and reoR
Ing the doorway, which resets
mechanism.
In such ways il machinery AIN
; doing our thinking for U.S. FeEu
within q few years some genius
i invent a device by which We can 2
5 dict the result of q presidential =
n ton with mathematical precaaa
. Perhaps.