Democratic Sentinel, Volume 15, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1891 — THE SECRET BALLOT A SUCCESS. [ARTICLE]

THE SECRET BALLOT A SUCCESS.

[lndianapolis SentineLi The New York Sun is entir ly mistaken as to there being any great difficulties in theiway of voting under the “new-fangled schemes” which have been adopted in twenty states, notwithstanding the opposition of all the corrupt politicians of both parties and all the organs of monopoly and boodle like the Sun. In this state, although only one general election has been held under the new law, very little trouble was experienced. The recent city election in Indianapolis was the second one held under ihe new law, and, altho a very radioal amendment had been made in the law since the former election, only a few hundred defective ballots were found in a total of twenty-five thousand. The number ol ballots that were invalidated by reason of improper marking was so small as to cut no figure whatever—much smaller than was usually the case under the old free and easy, everything goes, bloeks-of-five, boodle system of voting. It is a noteworthy fact, too, that snoh mistakes as were made were mostly committed by those who pride themselves on their superior education and intelligence end not by ihe uneducated and illiterate classes. The explanation of this is that the latter classes took pains to inform themselves as to the proper way of voting, and found the process to be a very simple one indeed, while the former, trusting to their own superiority, disdained to seek or receive instructions, and in a number of instances blundered in their voting througn sheer carelessness or overconfidence. It is the most simple matter in the word- to stamp a device at the top of a' ballot in order to vote a straight tioket or to stamp in front of the names of different candidates in order to vote a mixed tiok t. In Indiana there are very few voters so too in the scale of intelligence as to be unable to perfo.m this simple operation, and for these few the law makes ample provision The Indiana law ie a grand success in every way. A proposition to repeal it wonld not receive the support of 10 per cent, of tjae citizens of this commonwealth, and that 10 per cent, would be made up largely of boodlers and bummers. Under this law the disgusting scenes whioh were formerly witnessed a out the polls—the pulling and hauling and cheating and drunkenness and fighting and swearing—are no longer witnessed. Intimidation and bulldozing of every kind have ceased, and the industry of vote buying, which formerly flourished in Indi ,na, has been almost entirely suppressed. The law has proved, in short, one of the greatest and most salutary reforms ever effected. It is beyond all question a blessing to Indiana. It will never be repealed, and it is not likely to be amended for years to come.— The Sentinel, which originated the agitation for ballot reform m Indiana, which outlined this law before it was introduced in the legislature, which made the fight for it before that body and which kept up the tight until the law was pass d over the bitter op osition of the republicans and the no less bitter, if‘less open, opposition of many democrats, becomes proud' r every day of the work it accomplished. The machine politicians in the democratic party predicted that the passage of this law would ruin the democratic party in Indiana. The Sentinel declared that it wonid give the democratic party the first even chance it had evet had in the state. The result has justified The Sentinel Ever since the law took effect the demo ■ oratio party has had Lings pretty much its own way in Indiana. This is d e. first, to tho fact that this party always suffered by reason of the bulldozing intimidation and bribery which flourished under the old system, and, second, to the fact tnat by its passage of the ballot reform law and its espousal of other reforms it attracted to its support thousands of intelligent and upright v ,ters who, tho’ long in sympathy with the principles it professen, had never before seen the way clear to act with it. The democratic party was never so strong in Indiana as it has been since it became Progressive and reformatory.— The republican party has been fighting reforms of ev6ry kind in this state for years past, and all the time it has beeu going down hill. Uonesty and decency are the verv best politics. The Sun < oes not believe th s, we know, but the results in Indiana show that it is troe.

■ Get prices elsewhere on Candee rubber boots and shoes, then come and see if you can save 15 or 20 per cent on same goods at the Chicago Bargain Store. lowa corn ' as been making a political and horticultural record this season that justices) some tall stones. But it hardly warrants the following, which a recent arrival from the West brought with him: “I saw," says the recent arrival, “a man standing at ilie foot of a cornstalk.”— "How big is your com?” I asked the farmer. “I don’t know,” was the reply. “I i'ust sent one of my boys up to see, and ’m worried to death 'about him.” “Can’t he get back?” “Mo; that’s the trouble. The cornstalk’s growin’ up faster’n he can climb down.”- Washington Star. A full line of men’s celebrated Burt fine shoes. Chicago Babgain Store. A postoffice inspector of Sioux City, la., who i as been watching for some time to discover who had been pilfering the cash drawer of the Sioux City postofiioe, found a day or two ago that the offender was a mouse. The mouse had been carrying off paper money for several weeks and tad taken one twenty-dollar bill. About forty dollars was recovered from the mouse’s nest. Out ofTdght! and no competitors can afford to meet the cut prices on clothing, boots and Bhoes, at the Chicago Bargain Store. The descripti nos a p ircel of land in a Waldo county (New York) deed includes the following lucid passage: “Eight rods to a bole in the roof of a shed in-the ship yard." As the shed was burned sixteen years ago the authorities are not exactly clear regarc.ing that bound should have the greatest share of your trade? The store that brings down prices 25per cent., or the ones who copy altei the Chicago Bargain Storf. The rare occurrence of three brothers celebrating their seventieth birthday at the same time is recorded at Torrington, Conn. Matthew, Daniel and William Grant, the triplets, are said to be cousins of the late Gen- U. S. Grant. □The Gokey and the Miller hand-made boots, the best in the world, and nearly as cheap as machine sewed. (Chicago Bargain Store. The greatest depth of the ocean is 27,950 feet. Itofa on human and hones and all animsls cured in 30 minutss by Woolf ord a Sanitary Lotion. This never fails. Sold by Long & Eger, Druggists, B ensseuer, In