Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-10-03
Noted Temperance Man Gives
Reasons For Position He
Takes on Question.
SAYS THE PETITION IS VICIOUS
Head of the Constitutional Amend
ment Association Says 1t Is Worse
Than the Old Open Ballot System.

II. H. Sawyer, general counsel for
the Constitutional Amendment Assoc
citation of Iowa, who is one of the
most well known and noted temper
ance leaders in the state, has issued
an article in favor of changing the
mulct law so the secret ballot will
be substituted for the present petit
ton method. Mr.. Sawyer deals with
the subject in detail and his state
ment shows the attitude of great
majority of the temperance people
in Iowa. The article is as follows:
The Shankland Bill.
There has been much discussion
throughout the state on the propo-
sition to change the saloon law so as
to do away with the petition feature
and substitute therefor secret bal
lot. In the last session of the legis-
lature bill known as the Shank
land bill III. F. No. 328) was intro
duced by Hon. F. S. Shankland Of
Polk county, with view to doing
this very thing. The bill proposed
no change in the present liquor law
in any way, except that secret bal
lot was to be substituted for the
present petition feature. The essen
tial features of this bill are likely
to be presented to the nsxt general
assembly again. TherenSs the peo-
pie should know what chahge IS pro-
posed in the law and discuss it free
ly, fairly and frankly and then i'm
press upon their legislators what the
people desire to be done.
There Are Two Sides.
When this bill was introduced in
the legislature it met severe OPPOSE
ton. Those opposed to it branded
it as vicious" dangerous" and Sin
the interests of the saloon" Such
statements were sent out broadcast
over the state and many people ac-
cepted these statements as facts and
urged its defeat. At the same time
many earnest temperance people be-
lieved that the change would be q
good step in the interests of tenn
perance as we'll as in the interests of
better government and gave the
measure their endorsement. The
question now arises, which of these
views are right. 1t is the purpose
of this article to present the side Of
those who have endorsed the bill and
all that is asked is that you weigh
these arguments carefully and then
decide for yourself which method is
best.
The Difference.
The difference between the petit
ton method and the secret ballot
method is the same as that between
the old "open ballot" and the "Aus-
tralian ballot" except in the petit
ton method thirty days are allowed
to hunt up every voter, and bring
every kind of pressure to bear, while
in the old "open ballot" there was
but one day. and the voter must be
brought to the polls. Therefore the
petition system is still more vicious
than the open ballot. We once had
the open ballot and it was found to
be conducive to every form Of cor
ruption. The secret ballot has done
more for clean government and clear
politics than any single innovation.
If, then, the secret ballo. is better
than the open ballot for settling pub
lie questions, why should the liquor
question be settled by a still more
vicious system?
The Initiative and Referendum.
The essence Of the initiative and
referendum is the right of the peo-
pie to decide questions of government
at secret ballot, whenever speci-
fed percentage of the people shall so
demand. Why except the liquor ques-
ton? We believe that all public
questions should be thus settled after
free, fair and open discussion.
Every safeguard should be placed
around the expression of the will Of
the people SO that fraud, coercion
intimidation, bribery, etc, will be
eliminated. Thus far in our develop
ment we have found nothing which
SO effectively does this as the secret
ballot.
Dead Men Don't Vote.
The petition method is we'll calcu-
lated to permit all kinds of fraud.
coercion, corruption, etc. It gives
thirty days during which every Der.
son may be seen personally and all
kinds of pressure brought to bear on
any that hesitate. Employees are
coerced by their employers, officials
by voters, church members by min
listers, merchants by their patrons,
professional men by their clients.
ETC., while the riff raft is controlled
by the highest bidder. Names of per
sons dead are disgraced; non-resi-
dents are impersonated and names
of citizens forged upon the petitions.
Besides this there are in every COM
Norr1yfu ~ =