The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-10-27
VOTING MACHINE ooNsTRAINT

used exclusively in the districts where
these are provided. at the coming cleo
ton, looks to us like a sheer partisan
imposture upon the voters ot TINS
county The arguments against dc
pending exclusively upon the machines
in the lnrger election districts OF TINS
city were fairly presented, and an Of
fer WIS made TO demonstrate the I'M
possibility of the average voter deciar-
lug his Will by means OF the machine,
within the time limited. The cominis
sioners not only refused TO witness this
demonstration, but they refused the re-
quest that they themselves should un
dcrtake to vote on the machine within
the time limited These reInssls show
that the commissioners were not wal
/ ling TO be guided by reason, and that
! they were determined for partisan nd
vantage to force the use Of the ma
chimes exclusively. this in spite of the
! fact that the mRchines are intricate
and many voters have difficulty in us
ing them. and are reluctant to try il,
There is no question but that the ma
IOIIlN pl Nultio dAc i1Iuiu dpoub NcttbI
on the machine. They are distrustful
of their ability TO handle it and to votc
as they desire to vote, Then. the time
limit is so very short that it is impos-
sibe for the average voter TO do much
else ,han TO merely work the party
lever.
There is well-dcfned suspicion
throughout tho community that there
are tricks in the machine. One OF these
is the possibility OF voting ten votes
for one representative in place Of one
each Tor the ten that are TO bc elected.
And then, there is a push button at the
bottom Of the machine which offers an
alternatiye method OF voting in place
OF swinging the lever. This fact is
but little known, and it causes uncasl.
ness in tho minds Of those who do
know Of il.
Further il is contcudcd that the use
Of the machine will be largely helpful
TO or in favor Of the candidates upon
q certain ticket. To state this TACT as
a fact is to condemn the machines, for
there is not Of right any instrumental
ity or agency at the polls that should
give one party any advantage over any
other. When it is found that any meth
cd Of voting tends to the advantage OF
any one party or TO the injury Of an.
other, that ia itself is Il full and com
plcte condemnation Of tina; method;
for the polls ought TO be absolutely free
from all favoritism or OF possible dis.
advantage 10 any party. Every voter
has right TO approach the polls and
exercise his or her right OF voting ab'
solutcly untrammelcd and on a perfect
equality with every other voter, and
every party has A rightful claim to
exact Justice and inpartiality. Moth
ing could be worse IN free govern
ment than TO give any one party or
candidate or set Of candidates pref
erencc or advantage over other parties
or candidates at the polls, And any
officials having the selection or control
uf the election machinery who would
select and require the use of the rot-
ing machines or any other election
method for tho reason that it helps his
party or is to the Disadvantage of an"
other party he does not like, is tral-
tor at heart to free institutions; for
a choice dictated by reasons of that
kind is dishonest choice and is hos
tile in spirit and in fact TO popular
government. Ii is lust as much NOR
al crime TO corrupt the ballot as 1t is
To make war upon the flag
1t has been shown abundantly that
the voting machines do not offer IA
cilities for all of the voters in a num-
Der of the districts to cast their bal.
lots: for, as wc have stated, some OF
the districts have from 500 to 900 and
almost "A Thousand voters, Take u
district that has say 900 registered vo.
ters, and allow each voter one minute
to manipulate the machine and cast
ballot There are eight constitutional
amendments 10 pass upon. besides the
Presidential ticket, the judicial tick
cts. the legislative ticket, the county
ticket proper, and the justices Of the
peace. One minute is wholly INSULT
cient for the average voter who wishes
to make intelligent choice among the
different propositions and candidates.
But allowing that one minute, and with
the polls open Tor twelve hours. from
/ seven in the morning TO seven IN the
evening, and with a continuous stream
of voters for the twelve hours, no more
than 720 could possibly vote during the
time that the polls are open. Any dis.
trict having more than this number Of
votes would see the disfranehisemcnt
of that excess, But when we remem-
her thai voting is not done in con,
tinuous stream like that, but that there
are hours during the day when very
few vote, and other hours when there
is a great congestion Of voters, il is
evident that the machines in large dis
tricts are wholly inadequate 10 take
care Of the voting population. This in
itself ought tn be cuouph IN condp