The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-10-14
COMMERCIAL CLUB
DEFERS ACTION ON
VOTING MACHINES
(Continued from Page One)


(Continued from Page One)
ing SO, the fact that local newspapers
had not reported it correctly.
THE company's Offer" he said, "is
that it will install complete set of
machines for the 1914 election. II
they prove satisfactory in every way
the contract va stand, if not, it will
be null and void. The county council
will be asked to appropriate $4,000
same to be paid in annual installments
at Az per cent such installments to
be not in excess of the amount saved
over the use of the old system"
Bowman Reads Letters.
County Auditor Bowman read num-
Der of letters recently received from
auditors over the state. He stressed
the statement of the Marion county
official who gave strong Endorsement
to the machines and asserted they
would save more money, even, than
Mr.. Bowman had calculated.
Again taking the floor, Mr.. Freeman
made a plea for a thorough try out of
the Empire machine. IF citizens want
to know whether voting machines are
good to buy" he said, "the only way
they can find out is to give them
test"
A member of the club asked that
II. l.. Haywood present the results Of
Investigations made during the past
two months.
Mr.. Haywood said that many who
indorse the machines do so after
very superficial knowledge of them.
Receives a Jolt.
my kindly feeling toward the ma
chine received its first JOLT" he said,
while discussing the question infor
mally with a patent attorney of Hi
nois. This gentleman is familiar with
all the ms and outs of the patent
game and said he would consider it
very unwise for any county to pur-
chase the machines inasmuch as legal
tangles and lawsuits are almost sure
to come. The interior mechanism of
vote device, he said is covered by diff
ferent patents. The patentees have
kept up continual litigation and will
continue to do SO for years to come !"
Mr.. Haywood then presented the
reasons for turning down Mr.. Free
mans proposition.
zone or two trials he urged" will
prove nothing Any machine will work
well when new. The business-like
thing to do is to learn what has been
the experience of those communities
with prolonged experience. These men
in Indiana who indorse the devices so
freely have not had sufficient time
really to learn their merits or defects.
New Jersey used them for years, long
enough to find out just what they will
do, and then threw them out by major
tiles ranging from six to one, to ten
to one.
Points Out Defects.
''To show they have given satisfac-
ton in many cases does not warrant
their use; it is only necessary to show
once they can be manipulated in order
to make them dangerous proposition.
If they can once be manipulated they
can as many times in other places as
occasion requires.
THE Empire machine does not meet
the requirements of the Indiana stat
ute. That law demands that every
vote device furnish an absolutely Sc
cret ballot; the Empire machine does
not furnish it, nor, l understand, does
any other The law requires, also, that
it be made possible for a man to vote
a mixed electoral ticket; to do this on
the Empire is absolutely impossible.
THE Supreme Court of Illinois re-
Gently decided that any voter may de-
mand the use of paper ballots is so
desiring. This means that if in some
ward trouble would be had with a ma
chine a majority of voters would de,
mand the Australian system and that
would make white elephant of the
high priced device.
Cost Excessive.
1.-THE Empire machine is not worth
the money asked. 1t is flimsily con
structed with wheels and cogs OF
stamped metal. To ask $3.50 for such d
mechanism is very unreasonable. The
chief stockholders of the concern gave
the real reason for this exorbitan,
price when he said it cost them sc
large a percentage to place them ir
counties.
Voters are bewildered by the com
plexity of the mechanism. They are
confronted by nine rows of fifty col
umns and must pull number of lev
ers in case ticket is scratched.
Devices may be contrived whereby
corrupt election inspector may con
troll an election and render the will O.
the voters imperative.
"Other devices may be used by cor
rupted voters who are able to disfran
chse a number of voters following.
Easily Damaged.
Trouble is had everywhere with tn,
machines on account of the frequency
with which they become out of order
Machines are still in the expert
mental stage. Even recently the En-
pire, here under consideration, wa
displaced by the Triumph as the frs
place machine.
MIR. Freeman pleaded for trial b,
local voters. On trial would prove
little But in other states and cities
where an extended trial has beer
made covering long periods and wher,
the question has been referred to tn
people they have rejected the mechan
HEAD ALI, BROKEN OFT