The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-03
KANSAS COMMENT
CHIP ON CH1NA,s SHOULDER.

CHIP ON CHINA'S SHOULDER.
The Chinese republic, trying to get
out. of short clothes, is aching for
rough and tumble fight with Russia
1t is announced openly and above
board in the Celestial country that
the government to the north is going
to have to give up Mongolia or fight
for it. This is a large district or
China the Russians are claiming in
way that smacks of benevolent as
similation." Not that Russia needs
Mongolia but that she wants to beat
Japan to it, for that part of the new
Chinese republic is as wobbly as the
old throne used to be. 1t is liable to
go in any direction, for a great many
of its inhabitants furnished rulers for
China for several thousand years and
there was a feeling stirred up when
the boy emperor and his folks were
told to walk the plank Mongolia is
dominated by the Russians and Rus
sian military life through a thinly
yelled excuse of looking utter Russian
citizens. The followers Of the car
are in such close touch with things in
Mongolia that a constable cannot be
elected nor a notary public be selected
without some high up Russian army
officer putting his o. K. on it. This
is just what China, proper, is resent
ing. She doesn't like this divided house
nor partitioned republic. Chinese are
getting ready to flock to the call to
arms and go after Russia like she went
after herself during her civil war, or
else a mighty bluff is being made
China is hardly In the right con-
dition to get into trouble with Rus
STA, at this time. She needs another
wrestle with. her finances before she
tackles strife and she had better let
Manchurfa do as she pleases for a
few years rather than to start some
thing cant rf11,g
News.
MASSACHUSETTS BALLOT.
Some twenty years experience with
eagle, rooster, handclasp and other
emblems, each with the circle below
it for marking a straight ballot, has
shown that it is far from perfect so
far as the elimination of confusion is
concerned. With a score of years of
experience with the ballot, there were
hundreds of votes thrown out this year,
enough to have materially changed the
result on one or more important Of
fees if the intentions of the voters had
been carried out. AS a remedy for this
feature the Massachusetts, ballot is Of
fered and it promises to eliminate
much of the trouble. 1t is so arranged
that there need be no occasion for the
individual voter to become confused
over the way he should mark the bal
lot in order to make his Intentions
known. There are no party emblems
at the top of the column, no circles to
be using in voting the straight ticket,
nothing but the names of the candi-
dates and the party with which they
are affiliated. Yet they are so ar
ranged that the wayfaring man with
the ability to read will vote inteni-
gently. The candidates for each office
are grouped together, the name of the
candidate, his post office address and
his party being given and a square In
which to put the cross being set op-
posite in the present form. All the
information for which the Informed
voter cares is given in a concise form
and the marking of the ballot is q mat
ter so simple that nine out of ten of
the ballots now spoiled would be
counted the voter intended. The re-
cent election has emphasized the need
of some system that will do away with
the confusion of the voter. The Mass
achusetts ballot answers that need
Salina Journal.