Canvassing Boards.—­The persons composing these boards are designated by statute.  The secretary of the organization is always a member.  He is usually assisted by two or more judicial officers.

Certificates of Election.—­These are furnished to officers-elect by the secretary of the organization.  Certificates of members of congress and presidential electors are signed by the governor and the secretary of state, and are authenticated by the state seal.

Defects.—­With all the thought that has been given to the subject, it is still an unsolved problem how to secure “a free vote and a fair count.”  Of the two purposes given above to be subserved by the use of the ballot rather than by viva voce voting, the first is too commonly not realized.  Perhaps the greatest danger to our government is bribery or overawing of the voter.

A remedy suggested.—­The main reliance for the purity of the ballot must of course be the intelligence and uprightness of the people, and he who enlightens and uplifts one or more individuals is to that extent truly a patriot.

The second reliance is the removal of temptation.  There may be “honor among thieves,” but wrong doing makes a person suspicious, and if the briber cannot see the bribed deposit his ballot he has no good reason for believing that he did as directed.

In Australia they have a plan which seems to obviate bribery, and to have certain other incidental advantages.  The plan includes two main features:  1.  The printing of ballots at state expense, the ballots to contain all the nominees of all the parties and appropriate blank spaces for the insertion of other names; 2.  The secret preparation of the ballot by the voter and his casting it in the presence of the officers only.  The operation of the plan slightly modified, as now proposed in Massachusetts, is briefly this:  In the polling room as now, is the ballot-box; this none but those in the act of voting and the officers are allowed to approach.  As the voters enter the enclosed area a stile numbers them, and an officer hands each a ballot, containing the names of all nominees.  The voter takes this into a booth, and makes a cross in ink opposite the name of each person that he wishes to vote for.  Having thus prepared his ballot alone, he deposits it in the usual way.

The advantages promised by this plan are obvious.  The printing of the ballots at state expense would do away with one of the pretexts for bleeding a candidate for “legitimate expenses.”  It would take their occupation from the ticket-peddlers, and do away with the deceiving “pasters.”  The electors would be freed from the nuisance of personal solicitation or dictation.  The polling-places would be quieter and more orderly.  Best of all, it would greatly minify the evils of bribery for reasons given above.

The principle is certainly a good one, and the machinery is worthy of the careful consideration of our legislators.