A Change Demanded

The followins; artiele relative to voting machines, and the neecis of our city, is taken from the Anu Arbor Democrat, and every word of it is endorsed. When it is known that the writer of the article qnoted and the writer of this introduction were both clerks of an election board, and received some benefit of the money expended, pethaps the entire unselflshness of what is said and endorsed may become more apparent : "In looking over the minutes of the council proeeedinga at4 their meeting f November 23rtl, we find bilis allowed from the contingent fund amountiug to $5ü0.25. This amount was all tor election expenses. Under the existing conditions this is all eorreet,aud the bilis not larger than necessary. lint a few minutes serious thouglit will show that it cost the city a very large amount of money to conduct its elections. This of course being a general election costs a little more money, but by the tima we have paid for a city election every spring, and a state election every two years in the f all, a state spring election every two years, we lind that the mere matter of electious, costs us a great deal of money. How to reduce this expense is a matter worthy serious study. One method it seems to us would be the use of some of the various styles of voting machines authorized by law. After the machine is once installed the expense oí maintaiuing and operating it is trifling. By their use the services of a number of attendants could be done away with, and in the aggregate of a number of eleetions this would auiouut to a good deal of money. In the late election, with the use of machines, the three inspectors, coniprising the supervisor and two alderuien in each ward, could easily have attendi d to all matters. This would have disspensed with the services of 14 clerks, who drew $84.00, 14 gate keepers $28.00 and their proportion of meals furnished $38.52 ; a total of $150.52. Proportionally for the other elections, 'one can see that a large saving would be the result. "But then there is anoKier feature that should have weight - the matter of accuracy. Under the present method mistakes are many, and when the result is close baüots are couuted or rejected on technicalities and after a bitter flght. Then, too, these votes must often be recounted at a large expense. Take, for instance, the late recount of votes for County Clerk. It cost the county, in round figures, about $400.00 With a machine this is all avoided. When the polls are closed the record is made. The machine is open and the resulta stand out in plain figures. There is no chance for mistakes, and no chance to make wrong returns if the figures are correctly read. "Again the matter of quick returns is important. With the returns of al precincts quickly available less oppor tunity is given to juggle the returns by holding back certain districts. We have already noted in the columns o this paper the promptness with which returns are made. From two to fifteen minutes after polls are closed results are known. "Ballot stuffing under the machine voting is impossible. In different ways the machines have provided safeguards against repeating. When once you have voted for one candidate"for a certain office, the machine is automatically locked so that you may not vote again for that candidate or any other for that same office. "This method of voting is bound to come, sooner or later. It possesses many advantages, which so far outweigh its disadvantages, that its adoption is merely a question of educating the people to understand it. We kope Ann Arbor will study the matter somewhat before it is forced on to us because we are away behind the times without it."