New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-11-20

But Il money y 30 be permitted 10 control our eiectons
ana success, then poor man. 10 matter now
well qualifcd merifOrious. can ever raise hshoPc'
to any pos ton Of public honor or profit
when the Legislature passed this law. they supposed
would have the effect 70 prevent m use oil n'hey W
elections. The experience OF every year since me
passege of tue law has proved il 20 be utterly nsiecnd
Tor that purpose; the law has been openly dehsi AMI
violated every election since ~ passage ts taefe
fore. necessary that something more SHOULD De Zone
The only way tO reach the ev1 and prevent It Is m
amendment Of the Constitution oil the stale, DfSFRAN
CIgTsrNG every voter who sh6n receive any money or
vaushle THING his votes and also 20 declare the cleo
ton of candidate void who shall have N any desres
procured his election by the OF money. and thar tue
oath REQUIRED OF elect0r upon swearing in his vote,
shC uh embrace adecsr1tOn that he had not directly or
indirectly been paid orpromsed any thing In conhie
ton OF his vote and that the oath administered 10 every
public officer after his election should embrace Jecisra
lion on his part that be has not either directly ind
rccty. given any money valuable thing 10 procure
himself 10 be voted tor IL therefore respectfully re-
commended TO you THAT before you separate you present
this great and growing evil IN proper form with re-
quest from you the members OF the Legislature from
this County and Senatorial District that they will intro
duce bill resolution into the Legislature OF the com
ing session providing for amendment OF the Constr
ton of the State, containing such provision. as VIII
efectualy prevent this prostitution of the ballot box,
end preserve the purity OF elections.
All this may be very well, but it might be
more definite. The Legislature has tried It's
hand at this business heretofore, and with no
very gratifying result But let it try again,
by all means. And, by way of helping on the
good work, we would suggest the following
provisions:
l. A Registration of all the Legal Voters in
each Election District, to be completed and
posted up in public places at least three days
before each Election.
3. A selfsealing cnvelop, (like the Massachu-
sets secret ballot, wherein each voter should
be desired to seal up his vote before tcaring his
otrn d,reIling for the poll. These envelops
should be distributed in adequate numbers to
each house, together with an official notitica-
ton of the day of Election, officers TO be
chosen, qualifications of voters and penalties
for voting Illegally at least two days before
Election. Then the voter would 20 straight
to the poll, vote and go away with no one the
wiser for his preference, whatever that might
be, and with no party daring to annoy him lest
they should drive away one of their own men
and so lose a vote.
3. All grogshOps to be closed before daylight
On the lst day of January and not allowed to
be opened again till after midnight following
the 3lst December. TO expose any intoxi-
eating liquors for sale or offer any on whatever
pretext on Election day to be high INSIDE
meanOr.
4. Advising or perSuading any one to vote
illegally to subject the adviser TO the penalties
of illegal voting.
5. Inspectors taking a vote, knowing or
strongly suspecting it to be illegal, to be sub
ject to double penalty.
We believe these Reforms would do
much toward restoring Purity to our Elec-
tions, but we do not suggest them in any spirit
of exclusion Let all possible steps be taken
to secure an honest and legal vote.