Omaha daily bee., 1914-10-16

I
tho long ballot. the practical question lie how to
shorten IT, and the answer is not so easy, or.
rather, while the answer IL easy, its application
is more or less difficult There two
three ways to shorten the ballot. The first s
to reduce the number OF elective offices; the
second is TO have more elections SO az TO fill
fewer offices at each election; and the third is
TO lengthen the terms OF the offices have,
and make them overlapping. II had my way.
I would be inclined to all three of these
methods, and this is the way 1 would do It,
subject. of course. to modification Of detail:
Reducing Number of Elective offices.
IL would reduce the number OF state execu-
tive offices 20 three-governor, lieutenant gov
ernor and railway commissioner-and leave all
the rest TO be appointed by the governor and
confirmation by the state senate. There is no
more reason why we should elect land COM
missioner and attorney general by popular
vote than there Is for electing the chancellor Of
the university or thel professor of botany.
would continue TO elect the Lieutenant governor
for the that would want to make sure
OF an elective chief executive all the time.
would continue to elect the state railway com
missioner because Of his being charged with
many duties involving public policy that should
be directly responsive to popular demand.
Next / would reduce the number OF legisla-
tive candidates by requiring separate districts
for each senator and representative, 80 that no
voter would help choose more than senator
or more than one representative This Is the
only logical theory of representation. To choose
twelve In q bunch produces Misrepresentation.
The election bloc was justified and retained
heretofore because members of the legislature
used to choose the United States senator's and
It was desirable to have solid delegations for
that purpose but this no longer exists,
since we have United States senator's chosen
by direct popular vote.
Then l would abolish and consolidate a
number Of present offices 1 would merge, for
example, the office OF county assessor register
of deeds and county clerk. I would make the
county superintendent, county surveyor, and
clerk of the court appointive. l would abolish
the office of coroner altogether as a useless
graft and devolve such of his duties should
be carried out the sheriff and county
attorney / would create one office-thRt
OF county auditor, and merge with 1t the audit
and control of the city, school district aud
Water board accounts. I would reduce the JUS
tees Of the peace to two or three and make
all constables appolntlve the same as baiffs.
Separate National and Local Elections.
In one respect 1 would multiply our elections.
I think would separate the urinary which Is
to determine presidential politics from the
primary which Is to nominate state and local
officers. What I mean is, that every fourth
year I would have a separate and distinct pres
idential primary free from complications with
state and local candidaciesg
Making Overlapping Terms of office.
Another way to shorten the ballot is 10 make
longer ana overlapping terms. we nave THIS
already in the of our university REGENTS
members of the State Railway commission,
members of the supreme court. members of our
county board. members OF the Water board and
members of the school board. would be In
clined to apply this principle at least to the
district judges-gve them longer terms, and
vote for one-third OF them at q time the
plan that vote for supreme court
: judges The Rame might be done with our
county offices and could with advantage be
done with the membership OF our state senate,
making II more permanent body than the house.
ut goes without saying that TO bring about
all these changes would require constitutional
amendments, we'll statutory enactments.
But with our initiative 1t would not be hard to
formulate and submit the whole scheme with,
or without, the consent of the legislature.
Abolish SwaIIOw-it-straight Party Circle.
Just a few words more with reference to the
machinery OF the election because the length,
form and size of the ballot are, as have said
merely a means to an end
with short ballot we are free TO abolish the
party CIRCLE, and inaugurate what is known as
the Massachusetts ballot whereby every voter
must by his own crossmark indicate a positive
choice of the candidate he prefers
Permanent Registration of Voters.
Here in Omaha. South Omaha and Lincoln
believe in other Nebraska cites-we already
have registration of voters. In orNaha and
X South Omahal we have a permanent registra--
ton, and. BY the way, let recall that 1
suggested and advocated permanent registra-
ton long before It materalized. l appeared
before the legislative committee which took
testimony here in 1911. and urged law creating
n permanent registration bureau under super
vision OF an elections board made up OF the
clerk of the district court, the county clerk and
city clerk Of Omaha. 1 believe In permanent
registration, and in nonpartisan administration
of election machinery, although do not believe
in any method adopted that over-rides the
principle OF home rule by making the election
commissioner appointive by and responsible to-
the governor at lincoln, instead of TO own
people
Require Statewide Registration OF Voters
But what 1 started out TO say is that would
favor statewide registration and enrolment OF
all the voters In a similar manner II such
check and safeguard Is good for Omaha and
Lincoln Il would be likewise salutary in the
smaller towns and rural districts. small step
has already been taken in that direction in tho
law providing for compilation OF a voters mail
ing list to which the secretary OF state is to
send copies OF tho official initiative and refer
endum pamphlet Obviously, II we had state
wide registration that mailing list would be
ready at hand; not only that, but accurate and
up-to-date.
VOte-at-HOmc system should he Devised.
II viii indulge stin further thought TO
the ballot OF the future at the risk OF being
called for being too progressive. hope to see
the day when we will have not only a short
ballot, but a ballot that can be prepared and
marked at home, whee the election officials
will send out TO each voter, at the address from
which he Is registered, ballot TO be identified
by number and signature. which he may study
and mark at his leisure and return on a desg
mated day through the mails. The only objec-
ton to this l can conceive OF Is that II might
break into the secrecy OF the ballot but the
secrecy OF the ballot is intended only TO protect
the voter against coercion by others There Is