The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1917-01-12
CONTINUED from page q

are undermined, and in Their
place Is built up a monarchical
form Of government. There Is
an urgent need that this Assem-.
bly, pass a modern and compre.
hensive election law, which will
secure 10 every voter the right
10 cast his ballot in secrecy az
his best judgment dictates, and
free from interference or intimi-
dation on the part of the so
called political workers. The
practice Of herding men and
marching them TO the polls and
voting them as the bosses die
tate. should be prohibited under
severe penalties. The secrecy Of
the ballot could be safe-guarded
by allowing the voter TO cast his
ballot In a room wherein none
are allowed TO enter except him
self. the judges and clerks Of
election, and the challengers Of
the respective parties: and no
one within such Enclosure should
be allowed TO speak to or advise
the voter unless advice is re-
quested.
The printing and distribution
of the ballots should be entirely
under the control Of the county
chairman Of each political party.
As Il is now, in counties where
the clerk is Of q different politi-
cal faith from the county chair
man, all kinds Of obstacles are
placed in the way Of getting the
tickets printed and distributed.
No restriction should be placed
upon the right Of a man TO have
his name appear on as many
tickets as he can get conventions
to nominate him. ANY party
which is foolish enough to be-
lieve that the voter can be kept
bound and tied 20 that party by
cunningly devised election laws
will find in the end that they
have operated to that party s UNI
doing.
| earnestly recommend that
you enact a new election law con-
tanning the salient features Of
the Australian ballot. so modi-
fed and guarded as to suit the
conditions in this State.
Absent Voters Law
We have a law allowing men
in the employ Of the railroad
companies TO vote outside Of
their precincts. This statue Is
very indefinite and uncertain as
to the method Of the return and
canvassing of such votes. These
uncertainties should be cleared
up by requiring that the ballots
so cast be returned TO the county
clerk in envelopes marked
Ballot" so as TO indicate their
contents. The clerk should be
prohibited from opening such en-
velopes. except in the presence
Of the County Commissioners
and the public present at the
canvass of the vote.
After the vote has been can
vassed by the County Commits
sioners. acting rs a canvassing
board, the vote for State and
District officers should be- certi-
fled by such Board Of County
Commissioners TO the State can
wasting board.
Jury Law
Our jury law should be so
strengthened by amendment as
to make ii impossible to use il
for partisan purposes.
The Judge in each district
should be held responsible for
the impartialities of his iuries.
This responsibility can be secur-
ed by making the Judge one Of
the jury commissioners and pro-
viding that he appoint two
Others to act with him, one from
each of the two dominant politi-
cal parties in his district.
To insure that the jury would
not be entirely composed of men
of the same political party. il
should be made mandatory upon
the commission 10 select names
Of persons Of all political faiths,
the proportions Of each TO be
regulated by the normal vote
cast by each party in the county
where the jury list is selected.
The professional Juror can be
eliminated by providing that the
names of all those in the county
nnalinn6 IA aaFtfa On inriao H.