Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1890 — OUR NEW ELECTION LAWS. [ARTICLE]

OUR NEW ELECTION LAWS.

\ The tell election la tMs State, InCludlbf that of State officers, tt embers bf Coni re* s, members of tta Legislature and county officers, will be held the act rs At last Legislature known as the Australian ballot law. Besides this, ether new laws concerning- elections will be in force for the first time at a general electipn. These are the acts of March 9, 1889, concerning elections and the purity and freedom of the ballot. Both of these are important laws, and the three together will work a great change in the manner of conducting elections. Some of their provisions relate to candidates, others to voters and others to officers of election. They relate to the registration of voters under certain circumstances; to the arrangement of polling places; to the printing and distribution of tickets by State and county authorities; to the duties of county officers and chairmen of county committees; to the kind of electioneering that or may not be done; to the manner of challenge; to the manner of preparing, stamping, folding and depositing ballots; to the method of canvassing votes and making returns; to the duties of election officers, etc. From this partial summary of the provisions of the new laws it will be evident that they are very important measures, and that a correct understanding of them is highly essential for State and county officers, committeemen, candidates, voters, election offices and the public generally. Not only will the legality and regularity of elections measurably depend on the observance and enforcement of these laws, but the rights of candidates and voters are involved, and the election in any county or in the State at large may hinge upou a faithful and intelligent enforcement of their provisions. Assuming that every person desires an honest enforcement of the law. in order to bring out its merits and whatever demerits it may have,’if any, it is obvious that a general and correct understanding of it is necessary to that end. Such an understanding is afto necessary in order to reduce to a minimum the friction incident to the first trial of a new system and to insure the casting of a full average vote. Besides, every people ought to know as much as possible abont the laws under-which they live, including their election laws. With this object in view the Journal will endeavor to summarize the main points of the new laws in such a way as to disclose their practical operation without going too much into technical details. All three of the acts above referred to contain provisions whioh will effect the methods of electioneering heretofore prevalent, but two of them relate almost exclusively to that. Their object is to prevent the improper use of money, either directly or~ indirectly;” and, with this View, they go considerably further thin the old law and create some new crimes and penalties. The old law was strong enough against open but candidates and their friends found it easy to “whip the devil around the stump,” and committees managed to use a good deal of money for “legitimate expenses” that produced very illegitimate results. The new laws make it almost impossible to use money in any way intended to influence a vote without incurring a penalty. The hiring or employing of any person by any candidate to work for his election is prohibited, as well as the buying of votes. A candidate can not hire a person to work for his" election either before or upon election day, or to abstain from working for the opposite side. The giving or offering of money to influence a person’s vote is made a penal offense, and the person so hired or bribed to vote or abstain from voting may, upon proof thereof, recover personal judgment against the person bribing him, for S3OO. Any candidate, committeeman or other person who collects or handles any money, knowing it is to be used to induce, hire or buy any person to vote or refrain from voting, becomes liable under the law. The loaning or offering to loan money is the same as paying or offering to pay it. No kind of electioneering at the polls can be paid for either by a candidate or committee. The hiring of wagon drivers to bring voters to the polls is prohibited. Wagons may be hired, but no drivers. The attempt to tire any person to vote or refrain from voting is Made a penal offense, whether the person acts on it or not. In short, the two acts of March 9, 1889, practically prohibit the use of money, directly or indirectly, by any candidate, to secure the vote, influence or service of any person, either during the campaign or at an election, and by any committee to pay for services at the polls. The effect of the Australian ballot on electioneering and its general operations will be noted hereafter.