New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-20
THE ROSC.S BALLOT.

THE BOSSS BALLOI.
Governor Hill shows anxiety about his record
on Ballot Reform. He realizes that he made
great blunder when, to please the politicians
be vetoed a measure which the workingmen
universally favored. He knew what he had to
expect when he vetoed the High-Licen bill,
and he would rather have the saloons on his
side than the churches. But the case is differ
ent with Ballot Reform. His veto has angered
the laboring men as a class and, on the other
hand. has not brought him the aid Of any class
he did not have before. That veto will not
bring him one additional vote, and it will cost
him many thousands.
This is why the Governor is busy explaining
to his audiences the many defects of the bill,
which made it impossible for so conscientious
public officer to sign it. These are practically
reduced to one-that voter unable to read
would be compelled to disclose to the ballot
clerks the way he was going TO vote. SO the
Governor calls the proposed system the spy
ballot and seems to think he has coined
name that will bring the idea into popular
odium. The people Of this State are not chill
dren to be fooled by so transparent trick as
this.
Let us see s,ist what an ignorant voter would
be obliged to do under the law as it was passed
On entering the polling-place he would receive
from one Of the ballot-clerks printed ballot
containing the names Of all candidates arranged
by party groups. He could then do one of two
things. He could either tell one of the ballot
clerks who according to the law, would repre-
sent the two parties casting the highest two
votes at the preceding election which ticket
or which candidates he wanted to vote for.
It would then be the duty of the ballot-clerk
to mark the ballots according to the instruc-
tions Of the voter in his presence, and pre-
sumably also in the presence of the other ballot
clerk. who would belong to a rival party. Or
the voter could require one Of the ballot
clerks to read to him the entire contents of the
ballet. so that he could ascertain the relative
positions of the names of parties or OF can
didates on the ballot Then he could retire
to one of the apartments required by the law
and mark his ballot, screened from OBSERVE
ton He need not be able to write at all to
vote in this way. He has only to make a cross
If any one Of these ballot-clerks should mark
the ballot wrong. or should deceive him in any
way as to its contents, or should try to per-
shade him to vote for any particular candidate
or to interfere in any way with the free eXer-
else of his rights, that officer would be subject
upon conviction TO imprisonment in the county
Jail or the penitentiary for term OF not less
than six months, and not more than three years
and to fine of not less than $3.50, and not
more than $4,000, or to both snch line and i'm
prisonment The probability that ballot
clerk in order to make vote for his party
would take the risk of going to the peniten-
tiary for three years when ballot-clerk be-
longing to rival party stood at his elbow to
catch him if he tried any tricks with an ig-
norant voter is certainly not great. There are
no complaints Of this sort against the system
in England, where the number Of ignorant
voters is much greater than it is here.
The fact is that the voter who cannot read
would be much safer under this law than he is
now. To-day he is at the mercy of any person
who chooses to deceive him, and he has no re-
dress; under the proposed law he would be en-
titled, as citizen, to information and AID at the
hands Of the public officials who could hardly
mislead him without being detected, and who
would be liable to severe punishment. The
present system of voting under registration
laws is a great advance on preceding systems,
but it is still very defective. If we were going
to follow Governor Hills example we should
say that the present system was the Boss's bal
| lot. The political bosses like it, because when
they buy mans vote and put the ballot in his
hand they can make him keep il in sight until
they see it 60 into the box. Governor Hill and
his associates believe in vote-buying and that
is why they are opposed to Ballot Reform