Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-16
Biections but a Means 10 an End.


our election machinery as a whole, for all these
details ~ registration form OF ballot and
method Of voting are but a TO end
the END being efficient and responsible govern
ment conforming to the duly expressed will Of
the majority.
Town Meeting the simplest Form.
The simplified form OF voting is that OF a
town meeting, and II Is from the town meeting
that all the complicated machinery Of the pres
ent day election has been evolved. In the old
town meeting everybody who was entitled 20
vote, or to participate In the government
sembled at the same time and at the same
place. usually IN the town hall. Every act was
an act Of local self-governnrent; the meeting
organized by choosing it's presiding officer
secretary. tellers, etc. In other words, the
voters OF each voting district selected their own
election board from among themselves, and
questions and candidates. were put and de-
cided, as a rule, by viva voce vote, or II any
doubt. by division. Where offices were to be
filled, the man elected was often the unanimous
choice and seldom were there more than two
candidatea for any one place In the latter
event, those In favor of one man would go to
side OF the hall, and those in favor OF his
opponent to the other side and be counted
There was no secrecy about Il, no states no
ballots, charges OF fraud, no recount and no
contests Only one office was filled at a time
and oil the voters knew the candidates, or had
them pointed out to them. Only IN case 1t was
pointed. when blank pieces Of paper were passed
around. and each voter recorded by his own
written ballot From this form OF ballot
have developed the eight-foot ballot of today
by multiplying elective offices and organizing
numerous political parties, each feeling II in
cumbent to have candidate for every office
the ticket and furthermore, by inviting those
dissatisfied with the party nominations to add
still more candidates by petition. Because we are
no longer able to assemble all the. voters OF
town or city in one hall at one time, to accom-
modate them, apportion them into voting
districts, have polls opened at designated places
and kept open between fixed hours to enable
the voters to come and go according TO their
own convenience The election officers are no
longer chosen by the voters from among them
selves, but are hired for the purpose as semi
professionalism and after the voter deposits his
ballot he has nothing more to do.
Now, in town meeting there was no
question about ascertainlng the will of the ma
jority. and there little opportunity for Jug
giery or fraud But too many of our present
election laws built on the theory that all
the voters are dishonest, and therefore put the
burden OF proving himself honest, and entitled
to vote. on the voter, instead of the reverse.
objects TO ne Kept Constantly, I'm View.
I'm substituting our more complex election
machinery for the simple town meeting idea.
we should keep two objects, In view: First, to
facilitate the free and intelligent exercise OF
the suffrage: second, to protect our elections
against fraud. corruption and coercion-to make
sure that the result is the real expression or
the real voters by a majority or plurality as
the case may be. Does our present ballot serve
this purpose or has IL not become an obstacle
in the way OF accomplishing these obJectsY
maintain that the long ballot tends to destroy
the free and Intelligent exercise of suffrage.
and that in 30 doing 1t opens the way for fraud
some Facts Ont of Nebraska Experience.
s.T,t fau, fart ont of ON
Nebraska experience. In the last primary In
this county, to express himself on each office
or measure on the ballot, the voter had TO make
fifty-elght crossmarks. The reason Tor this Is
TO be found In the fact that we have inaugu-
rated biennial elections and this year showed
two elections into one. We had to nominate not
only all the candidates who would have other
wise been nominated this year but also all the
candidates who would have been nominated
last year except for u change in the law which
added a year TO the then ncumbents terms
What the Long Ballot IL Coming To.
Now at the next primary election in 1916
we will have to nominate candidates not only
for all OF the tvo-year offices nominated this
year but also for lot more-for an aggregate
of ninety, II the present law remains unchanged
..This leaves out OF consideration altogether
the possible constitutional amendments SUD
mitted by the Legislature at the primary ana
all initiative and referendum measures when
NAV come up at the election. II also leaves out
of consideration all possible vacancies In office
and all possible new elective offices which may
be created by the next legislature repeat
Il Is not possible for any person OF average
intelligence TO make upwards OF ninety cross
marks ON a primary ballot to choose Candidates
for office on which depend the vital policies
and admin stration Of the government ana 40
II coHscientiously to suit even himself
Guesswork Nominations and Elections
.syyhat really determines the nominations to
these minor offices on which public attention
cannot be focused? II is the indifference OF the
voters or the possession of a catchy name or
luck IN cIinging 10 the coattalls OF some popular
candidate for some office that Is in issue.
few years ago we had primary In which the
office OF lieutenant governor was contested ne
tween Lieutenant Governor Hopeweli up lot
reelection, and a man named waiter Johnson
who lived in the remote western part OF the
state and so far as anyone knew, had never
| figured in republican politics on the cor
| trary, he had been populist up TO rev
| months before and had previously been can
| didate for nomination on the populst ueAet,
| Now. under those circumstances. II anyone
| should be picked for a walk-away, It should
| have been Lieutenant Governor Hopewell VINO
| was a pioneer OF the state, widely known as
| Masonic grand master. had sat on the district
! baneh had served before as lieutenant gov
ernor. and had made many friends and rev.
| n any enemies, But when the votes were
| co,nted A was discovered that In the whole
| state OF Nebraska Judge Hopewen had onlS
| about 5000 more votes than his unknown com
! petitor In other words. ali but loo voters
| marked thelI ballots automatically according 10
the doctrine OF chance. which split them In two'
! and Judge Hopewen owed his nomination to the
| !. 500 who made their votes effective
Lana aalIot Disfranchises the voter.
! Another defect OF the long ballot is seen N
| the fact that It disfranchises large part OF the
| voters The ballot IL 30 confusing that II -
| ,mnossble 10 exercise the suffrage down the