Show THE REFORM BALLOT SYSTEM tho reform ballot system is very rapidly adap td by the states 0 tho union it with general favor wherever it has been introduced especially so among the quiet laboring classes it has many features which commend it to public favor and the system will undoubtedly prove the means of purifying the polls of much fraud that has been hereunto practiced the new system is commonly called the australian system from the fact that it had its origin strange to say in that far off corner of the globe SIR D BUTTON invented it as far back as 1851 in five years it became law in victoria in it was in general USH throughout the whole of australia and in 1872 it was made the law of groat britian it now bids fair of becoming quite generally adopted throughout the united states last week new york copied and five other states besides the empire state will after their election under the australian system of balloting one of the chief aims of the new law is to bring about a correct and honest count of all ballots cast during an election IT orthis purpose previous to election day the government prints at its own expense all the the tickets in the field of the several political parties or factions A strict account of those tickets taken to the polls is kept bythe government and no other than election officers are allowed to distribute the tickets to kotars by this meansie mean sit will bo seen government keeps a count against the fig aras of the judges of election and the number of votes cast plus the remaining tickets on hand must exactly agree with the original count kept by the government then as another check on the ballots casttle cast the registration list is resorted to for comparison so complete is the system that a false count is quite impossible another leading feature is secrecy and to accomplish this none but voters are allowed within a hundred feet of the polling place except of course the officers of the election and one man from each of the leading parties As a citizen steps up to the polls he is asked which ticket he de eires and upon receiving which be retires into a private apartment where ho ia given five minutes to scratch the ticket and substitute such candidates as he may desire in case he cannot read or write the citizens allowed at the polling place may render him assistance but they are sworn to secrecy other minor features are introduced calculated to prevent colonization of voters and to secure an honest registration of all resident citizens the main object however ia to govern the polls on election day and make them absolutely secret |