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Show THE SECRECY OF THE BALLOT Under the heading "A Better Reason," Rea-son," the Reese Paver Rtxll'c make; tt following sensible remarks; which express our ideas exactly. How strangely does this argument for the numbering of the ballot, from a Republican Repub-lican paper, contrast with tho-e ied by the so-called Republican carpet-baggers in our midst who carp so luudly about the "secrecy of tho ballot." Democratic papers everywhere complain com-plain that the Republicans are penitent penit-ent in their efforts to "detrov the efficiency effi-ciency of the ballot box." The plain English of this pretty phrase is that the Republicans are re.-olvcd to Mop, or at least check, illegal voting, ballot-box ballot-box stuffing, and the other ingenious practices cf the Democracy. These fellows fel-lows hate any attempt against the "efficiency of the ballot," forgetting that ''Chunky invented it," Alluding to an act of the Legislature of Indiana, which authorizes Inspectors of elections on receiving each ballot, to number the tame with figures corresponding with the Dumber placed opposite to the name of the. person presenting it. the Sacramento Jtepori'r says "thin effectually effec-tually destroys the sccrccv of the ballot," and "is intended to operate against poor men, who make a living by laboring for others, and arc therefore there-fore more or less dependent." T here is a better reason for the Indiana statute. stat-ute. It is a radical effort to arrest the tide of corruption which lias for years flowed out of New Vork city, where illegal voting, de-troying the 'efficiency 'efficien-cy of the ballot box," ha.-: become a fine art. It, N an att'-mpt. to ; top "repeatitiL'" and ;h" nuinbeiii---, frauds upon the fallol. J'inally, the :i'-l. i--"intend'vl to opeiate lin-i ' the scoundrel- ''who make a living" by voting ill'-gally lor pay. The motive of th'; law is good, and will be approved ap-proved by every liuned eilien whether lie be iJemoiTat or Republiean. I' may ufh.cl the scw;y'; of the ImI-lot, ImI-lot, whieh I- our judgment -orm . r.'.th' r a ri.i'n:.'.- Cor r inv-i than a shield for poor and timid m u : but that would b- hut. a piieiih: ohici'iiuii if the net lpn--,., :, , , '.rnled fraudulent vol ing. |
