Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1916-11-24


The governor declares that he is in
favor of removing from our election
ballots those circles which top the
different columns OF party candi-
dates, @ cross within which means a
straight ticket vote.
That would be fine. The Austria
liam balloting system presupposes in
telligence and discrimination in the
voters, and IL we are fit for the sys-
tenn at all we do not need the circle
at the top of the column.
II seems evident that It was the
presence of this handy circle that re-
elected our democratic governor, and
this arouses memories of the days
when besides circles the different
parties were allowed emblems at the
tops of the columns.
In 1910 the democrats had roos-
ter for their emblem Hawley was
the candidate for governor on the
democratic ticket and apparently the
choice of the Short Line. There were
many Greeks working along the
tracks of the Short Line that year.
OF voting, policies or candidates they
knew nothing, but they were told tp
put a cross under the rooster and all
would be well.
"Scratcha da chick! Scratcha
da chick"
That was the word that went down
the line, and they scratched the
chick so we'll that Hawley got In
with few less than 500 votes to the
good.
The chick is gone, and now a de-
mocratic governor proposes that we
shall dispense with the top circle as
he ~ hn hn s1o at
of his line?--Statesman
1t is true, as the Statesman says,
the "Scratcha da chick" slogan was
instrumental In electing Hawley gov
ernor in 1910, for not only the
Greeks, but many others. placed
9 cross in the circle under the roos-
ter on the ballot and let 1t go at that.
That was the last year In which en-
blems were used on the ballots, as
none of the political parties adopted
emblems in 1912. AS a member OF
the Twelfth legislature the writer
introduced and secured the passage
of bill amending the election law
SO as to abolish the use of emblems
ON the ballots. At that time we were
inclined to further amend the law
so as to do away with the large cir
Gle at the head of each ticket on
the ballot, but in talking with mem
bers of both the house and senate
we found that the sentiment was
largely against the removal of the
large circles, and there we're a num-
Der who we're opposed to even do
ing away with the emblems. There
fore in preparing the bill we elimin-
ated only that portion of the law
which permitted the use Of party
emblems, believing that 1t was bet
ter to SECURE the repeal of that sec
tion of the law than to run the
chance of having the bill defeated
by including the provision for the re-
moval of the large circle.
1t is equally true that "the pres
ence of the handy circle" at the head
of the democratic ticket reelected
Governor Alexander this year, for 1t
is evident that hundreds Of. republi.
cans who we're hypnotized into vot-
ing for Wilson because "he kept us
out of war" placed cross in the
large circle over the democratic tick
ct and stopped right there. while If
that circle had not been on the bal
lot many Of them would have voted
the republican state ticket
We are glad to learn that the gov
ernor is in favor OF removing the
large circle and we trust that he win
be able to secure that and some
other needed amendments to the
election law this winter.