Government as a Business (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1916. Excerpt: ... Chapter XVI ELECTIONS DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM-THE SAFEGUARDS PERFECTION of the election system came rapidly in cities. It was at first perfected for the general government and was of necessity made use of by the municipalities. Thus the development of the election system was just the reverse of that of the primary. The election system came down to the municipality from the national and state government; the primary system had its beginning in the municipality and moved up. It will, doubtless within a few years, be adopted by the national government for the nomination of candidates for president and vice-president. In the days of the town meeting, when the body of electors was small and men were chosen to office because it was their duty to serve, contests for office were not common. The nomination was then made from the floor and confirmed by viva voce vote or by the raising of hands. Even when there were contests the division was made by raising the hands or by the partisans of each candidate standing separately to be counted. When men became candidates for office and several were in the field for election, when more or less manipulation became a feature, then voters began to demand that their expression of choice be secret. The ballot appeared. At first this was merely a slip of paper upon which each voter wrote the name of his choice and placed it in a hat or box to be counted with all the rest. The political system kept growing. With its growth, abuses began to develop. Candidates for office began to supply to the voters the slips upon which the candidate's name was already written or printed. Regular voting places with locked and sealed ballot boxes, with regularly appointed election officials, became necessary. In those days candidates, their frie...