The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-14
A SHORTER BALLoT2

The newspapers and voters of Kan
sas have been thinking seriously
about the ACCESSIBILITY of cutting down
| the length of the ballot in this state.
The recent election, the delayed count
| and the mystery of the long list OF
| names have brought up the PROPOSE
ton to the preliminary consideration
of the voters.
Under ordinary circumstances, Kan
sas is not very enthusiastic about short
ening the ballot. N this state the voters
have been taught that the election of
state officers is preferable to the APP
pointment by the state administration.
High salaried appointments, and fat
tened offices to fill, in the past have
given the state administration oppor-
tunity to build powerful machines
through the favors that they have at
their command.
Then there is another feature: The
average voter is not acquainted either
with the capability or the personality
of fully one-third the candidates
printed on the ballots. If he is a par
tisan man he knows that one of them
is a Republican and the other a Bull
Mooser or a Demoerat-but in dis
candidate for the office he knows lit
tie or nothing. In other words, many
candidates are elected not for their
known efficiency but because they
trail along under the leaders of the
ticket.
The way the law stands in Kansas
the voter struggles through a long
ballot in order to reduce the influence
of the politician who might build up
his appointments into a personal gain.
To pay for his anti political citizen
ship the voter throws the state election
into muddle.
1t has been suggested that the state
follow out the teachings of the COM
mission form of government That
the short ballot be adopted and the
few officers chosen by the people make
their selections of minor offices. These
minor offices would be placed under
the supervision of the elective officers
and would be held responsible by
them. Each elective officer would be
made to answer for the actions of his
appointees-and if the state wanted
to put it's finger on a mistake or a !
weakness in the administration it could !
point to the elective officer who |
watches over the department in Ques-
ton.
There is another complaint on the |
election law. Persons over the state !
have been eriticizing the lorg-distance
system of voting away |
from home. 1--WE will soon have it
lined up so that a man can vote by |
telephone at the breakfast table," is
the way one man explained it. 1--WE
can now vote by mail-and soon by
parcels post Everyone should have
the privilege of making his choice for
state and. national office, 1t is true.
The Iong-distance citizenship right is
a great benefit to travelling statesmen.
college students, and railroad men. Its
weak point is the delay it brings to
the election results,
It looks as though the voting ma
chine would be the popular selected
solution of the trouble in Kansas. The
mistakes brought about by sleepy and
aged election boards, the cost of print
ng ballots and hiring large boards to
handle the booths, the delay in find
ng the resu1ts-aIl these things have
made the voters of Kansas look with
favor upon the voting machine.
Kansas wants better election laws
and the next legislature should at
.empt a revision.