Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 121, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1903 — MAKE HASTE SLOWLY [ARTICLE]

MAKE HASTE SLOWLY

Indiana Paper’s Advice as to Voting Machines.

(Crawfordßville Journal.)

The cry Is going up for voting mar chines from all parts of Indiana and from men of all parties. The law allowing the use of machines has been on the bookß four years and yet not a, single machine has been used. It is now spriously proposed that the legislature shall pass a law making their use compulsory all over Indiana. The enthusiasts who are suggesting such action will probably cool off in a few weeks. While the idea Is a good one in many ways the state of Indiana could not afford to hull the voting machine market by creating the necessity of purchasing 2,500 machines by 1904. The companies making these machines are already to a considerable extent in a combination and such a law would simply put the people at their mercy. It might do to compel all counties containing large cities to buy machines, but, better yet, the Journal would suggest that each county in the state he compelled to buy at least one machine for use at the next election. This would divide the expense of the experiment over the state and the benefits as welL Doubtless all Varieties of practical machines would get a test and the results could b« compared before any county went to the expense of a full equipment. As a matter of fact there are several practical machines on the market, a number of impractical ones, and Improvements are being constantly made. But there is also a vast amount of dense ignorance on the whole subject and it would be comparatively easy for a board of commissioners to make a mistake hy buying the wrong machine, which would cost the taxpayers a lot of money. Lpt us proceed with the use of voting machines steadily and as rapidly as possible, but not precipitately. The Utmost care should be taken to select the very best type of machine.