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feeling　increased　from　year　to　year；　until　what　was　long
suspected　came　suddenly　to　light；　through　an　entirely　unexpected
agency。　William　Randolph　Hearst；　a　newspaper　owner　who　had　in
vain　attempted　to　secure　a　nomination　for　President　by　the
Democrats　and　to　get　himself　elected　Governor　of　New　York；　had
organized　and　financed　a　party　of　his　own；　the　Independence
League。　While　speaking　in　behalf　of　his　party；　in　the　fall　of
1908；　he　read　extracts　from　letters　written　by　an　official　of　the
Standard　Oil　Company　to　various　senators。　The　letters；　it　later
appeared；　had　been　purloined　from　the　Company's　files　by　a
faithless　employee。　They　caused　a　tremendous　sensation。　The
public　mind　had　become　so　sensitive　that　the　mere　fact　that　an
intimacy　existed　between　the　most　notorious　of　trusts　and　some
few　United　States　senatorsthe　correspondents　called　each　other
〃Dear　John；〃　〃Dear　Senator；〃　etc。was　sufficient　to　arouse　the
general　wrath。　The　letters　disclosed　a　keen　interest　on　the　part
of　the　corporation　in　the　details　of　legislation；　and　the　public
promptly　took　the　Standard　Oil　Company　as　a　type。　They　believed；
without　demanding　tangible　proof；　that　other　great　corporations
were；　in　some　sinister　manner；　influencing　legislation。
Railroads；　insurance　companies；　great　banking　concerns；　vast
industrial　corporations；　were　associated　in　the　public　mind　as
〃the　Interests。〃　And　the　United　States　Senate　was　deemed　the
stronghold　of　the　interests。　A　saturnalia　of　senatorial
muckraking　now　laid　bare　the　〃oligarchy；〃　as　the　small　group　of
powerful　veteran　Senators　who　controlled　the　senatorial　machinery
was　called。　It　was　disclosed　that　the　centralization　of
leadership　in　the　Senate　coincided　with　the　centralization　of
power　in　the　Democratic　and　Republican　national　machines。　In　1911
and　1912　a　〃money　trust〃　investigation　was　conducted　by　the
Senate　and　a　comfortable　entente　was　revealed　between　a　group　of
bankers；　insurance　companies；　manufacturers；　and　other　interests；
carried　on　through　an　elaborate　system　of　interlocking
directorates。　Finally；　in　1912；　the　Senate　ordered　its　Committee
on　Privileges　and　Elections　to　investigate　campaign　contributions
paid　to　the　national　campaign　committees　in　1904；　1908；　and　1912。
The　testimony　taken　before　this　committee　supplied　the　country
with　authentic　data　of　the　interrelations　of　Big　Business　and　Big
Politics。

The　revolt　against　〃Cannonism〃　in　the　House　had　its　counterpart
in　the　Senate。　By　the　time　the　Aldrich　tariff　bill　came　to　a　vote
（1909）；　about　ten　Republican　senators　rebelled。　The　revolt
gathered　momentum　and　culminated　in　1912　in　the　organization　of
the　National　Progressive　party　with　Theodore　Roosevelt　as　its
candidate　for　President　and　Hiram　Johnson　of　California　for　Vice…
President。　The　majority　of　the　Progressives　returned　to　the
Republican　fold　in　1916。　But　the　rupture　was　not　healed；　and　the
Democrats　reelected　Woodrow　Wilson。



CHAPTER　IX。　THE　AWAKENING

In　the　early　days　a　ballot　was　simply　a　piece　of　paper　with　the
names　of　the　candidates　written　or　printed　on　it。　As　party
organizations　became　more　ambitious；　the　party　printed　its　own
ballots；　and　〃scratching〃　was　done　by　pasting　gummed　stickers；
with　the　names　of　the　substitutes　printed　on　them；　over　the
regular　ballot；　or　by　simply　striking　out　a　name　and　writing
another　one　in　its　place。　It　was　customary　to　print　the　different
party　tickets　on　different　colored　paper；　so　that　the　judges　in
charge　of　the　ballot　boxes　could　tell　how　the　men　voted。　When
later　laws　required　all　ballots　to　be　printed　on　white　paper　and
of　the　same　size；　the　parties　used　paper　of　different　texture。
Election　officials　could　then　tell　by　the　〃feel〃　which　ticket　was
voted。　Finally　paper　of　the　same　color　and　quality　was　enjoined
by　some　States。　But　it　was　not　until　the　State　itself　undertook
to　print　the　ballots　that　uniformity　was　secured。

In　the　meantime　the　peddling　of　tickets　was　a　regular　occupation
on　election　day。　Canvassers　invaded　homes　and　places　of　business；
and　even　surrounded　the　voting　place。　It　was　the　custom　in　many
parts　of　the　country　for　the　voters　to　prepare　the　ballots　before
reaching　the　voting　place　and　carry　them　in　the　vest　pocket；　with
a　margin　showing。　This　was　a　sort　of　signal　that　the　voter's　mind
had　been　made　up　and　that　he　should　be　let　alone；　yet　even　with
this　signal　showing；　in　hotly　contested　elections　the　voter　ran　a
noisy　gauntlet　of　eager　solicitors；　harassing　him　on　his　way　to
vote　as　cab　drivers　assail　the　traveler　when　he　alights　from　the
train。　This　free　and　easy　method；　tolerable　in　sparsely　settled
pioneer　districts；　failed　miserably　in　the　cities。　It　was
necessary　to　pass　rigorous　laws　against　vote　buying　and　selling；
and　to　clear　the　polling…place　of　all　partizan　soliciting。　Penal
provisions　were　enacted　against　intimidation；　violence；
repeating；　false　swearing　when　challenged；　ballot…box　stuffing；
and　the　more　patent　forms　of　partizan　vices。　In　order　to　stop　the
practice　of　〃repeating；〃　New　York　early　passed　laws　requiring
voters　to　be　duly　registered。　But　the　early　laws　were　defective；
and　the　rolls　were　easily　padded。　In　most　of　the　cities　poll
lists　were　made　by　the　party　workers；　and　the　name　of　each　voter
was　checked　off　as　he　voted。　It　was　still　impossible　for　the
voter　to　keep　secret　his　ballot。　The　buyer　of　votes　could　tell
whether　he　got　what　he　paid　for；　the　employer；　so　disposed；　could
bully　those　dependent　on　him　into　voting　as　he　wished；　and　the
way　was　open　to　all　manner　of　tricks　in　the　printing　of　ballots
with　misleading　emblems；　or　with　certain　names　omitted；　or　with　a
mixture　of　candidates　from　various　partiestricks　that　were
later　forbidden　by　law　but　were　none　the　less　common。

Rather　suddenly　a　great　change　came　over　election　day。　In　1888
Kentucky　adopted　the　Australian　ballot　for　the　city　of
Louisville；　and　Massachusetts　adopted　it　for　all　state　and　local
elections。　The　Massachusetts　statute　provided　that　before　an
election　each　political　party　should　certify　its　nominees　to　the
Secretary　of　the　Commonwealth。　The　State　then　printed　the
ballots。　All　the　nominees　of　all　the　parties　were　printed　on　one
sheet。　Each　office　was　placed　in　a　separate　column；　the
candidates　in　alphabetical　order；　with　the　names　of　the　parties
following。　Blank　spaces　were　left　for　those　who　wished　to　vote
for　others　than　the　regular　nominees。　This　form　of　ballot
prevented　〃voting　straight〃　with　a　single　mark。　The　voter；　in　the
seclusion　of　a　booth　at　the　polling…place；　had　to　pick　his
party's　candidates　from　the　numerous　columns。

Indiana；　in　1889；　adopted　a　similar　statute　but　the　ballot　had
certain　modifications　to　suit　the　needs　of　party　orthodoxy。　Here
the　columns　represented　parties；　not　offices。　Each　party　had　a
column。　Each　column　was　headed　by　the　party　name　and　its　device；
so　that　those　who　could　not　read　could　vote　for　the　Rooster　or
the　Eagle　or　the　Fountain。　There　was　a　circle　placed　under　the
device；　and　by　making　his　mark　in　this　circle　the　voter　voted
straight。

Within　eight　years　thirty…eight　States　and　two　Territories　had
adopted　the　Australian　or　blanket　ballot　in　some　modified　form。
It　was　but　a　step　to　the　state　control　of　the　election　machinery。
Some　state　officer；　usually　the　Secretary　of　State；　was
designated　to　see　that　the　election　laws　were　enforced。　In　New
York　a　State　Commissioner　of　Elections　was　appointed。　The
appointment　of　local　inspectors　and　judges　remained　for　a　time　in
the　hands　of　the　parties。　But　soon　in　several　States　even　this
power　was　taken　from　them；　and　the　trend　now　is　towards
appointing　all　election　officers　by　the　central　authority。　These
officers　also　have　complete　charge　of　the　registration　of　voters。
In　some　States；　like　New　York；　registration　has　become　a　rather
solemn　procedure；　requiring　the　answering　of　many　questions　and
the　signing　of　the　voter's　name；　all　under　the　threat　of　perjury
if　a　wilful　misrepresentation　is　made。

So　passed　out　of　the　control　of　the　party　the　preparation　of　the
ballot　and　the　use　of　the　ballot　on　election　day。　Innumerable
rules　have　been　laid　down　by　the　State　for　the　conduct　of
elections。　The　distribution　of　the　ballots；　their　custody　before
election；　the　order　of　electional　procedure；　the　counting　of　the
ballots；　the　making　of　returns；　the　custody　of　the　ballot…boxes；
and　all　other　necessary　details；　are　regulated　by　law　under
official　state　supervision。　The　parties　are　allowed　watchers　at
the　polls；　but　these　have　no　official　standing。

If　a　Revolutionary　Father　could　visit　his　old　haunts　on　election
day；　he　would　be　astonished　at　the　sober　decorum。　In　his　time
elections　lasted　three　days；　days　filled　with　harangue；　with
drinking；　betting；　raillery；　and　occasional　encounters。　Even
those　whose　memory　goes　back　to　the　Civil　War　can　contrast　the
ballot　peddling；　the　soliciting；　the　crowded　noisy
polling…places；　with　the　calm　and　quiet　with　which　men　deposit
their　ballots　today。　For　now　every　ballot　is　numbered　and　no　one
is　permitted　to　take　a　single　copy　from　the　room。　Every　voter
must　prepare　his　ballot　in　the　booth。　And　every　polling…place　is
an　island　of　immunity　in　the　sea　of　po