(Scotland)
My city is governed by the Council and my ballot contains just the single office Councilor from my ward. I have one man to choose and it's so easy for me to know what I'm voting for that I never get buncoed. That's why Glasgow is the best governed city In the world.
THE DES MOINES (IOWA) VOTER
My city is governed by a commission of Five, and my ballot contains just those five offices. I have just five men to choose and you can't fool me into voting for a man I don't really want. No long ready-made tickets for me—I'm boss myself with this Short Ballot, and the politicians in this town are out of jobs.
THE PORTLAND, OREGON VOTER, WITH A BALLOT THREE FEET LONG
My city, county and state are governed by hundreds of elective officers and my ballot is so long with seventy-five candidates and thirty-two initiative laws, that no one but a professional politician can vote it intelligently. I'm voting half the time for men I wouldn't vote for if I could find out about them. My ballot is designed to favor the expert politicians and befudge the plain voter, and it succeeds. That's why I have government by politicians instead
of government by the people.