The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-07-23
To Be Submitted Al Special
Election Sept. 5
rhe Ballet WIN be 1welty'
One Inches Long
Address On Subject To Be
Issued TO The Voters

Ohio electors, to vote intelligentfy
on the forty-two constitutional amend.
ments to be submitted to them Sept.
8 next, will be compelled to study each
amendment carefully.
Receipt here Wednesday of fac
simile of the official ballot discloses
the fact that the ballot contains prac.
tically nothing which will act as an
intelligent guide to the electors in act
ing on each question when in the vot-
ing booth.
The ballot as contemplated will be
about Fl inches in length and not
more than 8 inches wide. Forty-one Of
the questions will follow each other in
sequence, numbered from one to AZ.
The liquor question appears alone
in the upper corner Of the ballot and
to the right Of the column containing
all the other proposals. Each question
is submitted'i in IS abbreviated . form
a. possible.
Friends Of the amendments say
this form was adopted to keep sim.
pie the size Of the ballot. They also
say It 10 not contemplated that an
elector should decide how he is going
10 vote on any one or all Of the ques.
tions after he enters the voting booth
but that each voter must post himself
thoroughly on each amendment before
election day.
Mayor Newton d. Baker. Of Cleve.
land, defends the form in which the
amendments are to be submitted.
II believe SO thoroughly In the in.
telligence Of the people Of Ohio" said
Mr.. Baker, that l do not think any.
one need fear the electors will not be
thoroughly conversant with each pro-
posal when 1t comes time for vote
ON the various questions.
"Abbreviation was necessary to
make compact ballot. Each question
is numbered on the ballot and has q
BRIEF title. There will be q thorough
campaign Of education on each ques.
ton, and in speeches and literature
each amendment to be voted upon will
be designated by the number 1t bears
on the ballot.
I'm a general election the people vote
for men for office. They know little
or nothing about the names of the men
but they understand what each advo.
Gates and vote accordingly. I think
that analogy is apt In applying 1t to
the constitutional amendments. The
point IL that the people must study
each Of the amendments and be thor.
oughly prepared to vote on them be.
fore they enter the polling booths"
"The title 10 abbreviated ON the bal.
lot because 2 complete explanation
of each question could not be put on"
said Doty. Each question is number
ed. 1t ID an easy matter for people
to familiarize themselves with the
number and the matter to which It re.
fers.'
Political students who fear the peo.
pie will not be able to vote intelli.
gently on the various questions, point
out that the abbreviation Of title has
been carried to such . point that the
voter without special knowledge will
know absolutely nothing Of what the
several amendments provide.
They declare 1t will require most
unusual educational campaign prop
erly to acquaint the people with the
subject matter OF each question. And
the friends of the amendments and
the form in which they are to be sub
mitted point out that this is just the
sort of campaign they propose to put
up.
There are approximately one and q
quarter million voters In Ohio" says
e. w. Doty of Cleveland. Friends Of
q progressive constitution propose to
try to reach all of these voters. We
are now having printed 100000 CO.
pies of the Address to the People by
the convention.
This address is to be put out In the
form of newspaper supplement. In
small cities and villages this supple
ment will be issued perhaps as part