New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-26


time consumed In tearing and giving each voter
ballot from each one Of forty more such books
for there ARC usually at least six or seven different
Kinds OF ballots to be voted at an election In this
CITY and these arc to be multiplied by live or SIX
narties-lt will be seen that largo force OF cleo
tion officials would be required. or there WOULD
be much delay The provision Tor putting inc
voters name and address upon the stub OF each OF
his perhaps forty odd ballots Is plainly lmprac-
ticable. After he has made his selection, he IS
either 70 return the unused ballots to the election
officers to be DESTROYED by them, or no Is to
destroy them himself in their presence--a process
taking still more Of theis time
The bill of the Commonwealth Club would put
the names of ell candidates for the same office
on the same ballot. The State ticket voted last
November would, under this rule, have contained
the names Of thirty-eght candidates as there were
eight tickets in the field, with two vacancies, ana
five offices to be filed. The voter would nave
been obliged to cross out thirty-three names IN
order to vote for five. For city and county OIL
GERS there were. in all thirtyeight candidates. and
the voter would have been obliged to cross out
twenty-eight in order to vote for ten. When 10
these are added the Senate, Assembly, Aldermanic
Civil Justice and other tickets 1t will be seen
that the labor imposed upon the voter is con-
siderable, and that moro time would be required
than many would be disposed to give. But this
would be apparent in a Presidential year, above
all There will probably be at least four cleo
toral tickets in the field next fall, and perhaps
more Four such tickets would necessitate the
placing on each ballot of 144 Names 0s of which
the voter would have to strike off in order to vote
for the thrty-sx electors Of his choice. The
Commonwealth Club bill which provides that the
names Of all candidates for other Offices shall be
arranged alphabetically, seeks to obviatc this
difficulty as to the electors by providing that they
may be arranged in party groups There Is no
good reason why this rule should not be applied
TO State tickets also, and wherever it VIII save
the voters time. The politics Of each ca .driatc
ought also to be clearly indicated. In this
respect the Hamilton Il is superior to that of
the Commonwealth Club, which apparently would
compel the citizen TO remember the names of the
score or moro Of his party's candidates for the
various offices, or to take newspaper list with
him
The chief defect in both bills seems to be that
the differences between the candidates existing in
England or the colonies and here, have not been
sufficiently taken into account. 1t is compare
lively simple matter to carry out such system
in England, where the number Of officers to be
voted for is very small, very often only member
OF Parliament, and the right of suffrage is less
general than IL is with us. But with universal
suffrage and under u system requiring the voter
to express his preferences as to not less than
tw~niy Offices on the average, and sometimes
many more, It Is evident that there must he
careful adjustment OF the plan to It's new field
or IL may break down in its first operation
simpler method than either of those proposed
and taking less OF the voters time, might be to
have each ballot bear the names Of all the cand-
dates with their politics plainly indicated, and so
arranged and eyeletcd that each voter can tear 1t
of the ticket he prefers Just as nc would postage
stamp and vote il without any marking unless
he wishes TO scratch"
IT. will apparently be necessary TO enlarge by
legislation the discretion of the Police Commits
sioncrs of this city in fixing the number OF
polling-places 1t is true that they have the power
this year. under the election law, TO divide cleo
ton districts which have had during the two
y;.rs just past average registration of more
than 400, but it Is n question whether, In view
of the delays likely to occur upon the first trial
Of the plan, and that too in a Presidential year,
their discretion ought not to be made still larger.
THE tribune does not make these suggestions
in any spirit of hostility to the reform. On the
contrary, it heartily favors it, 1t is simple JUS
ticc that when the State calls for an expression
of opinion it should provide the needed machinery.
The question Of expense is not worth considering
by contrast with the gain in abolishing assess
mcnts and the form of bribery known as hiring
workers. a. to make the reform practicable and
acceptable, of all parties and all shades of
opinion should unite 70 secure the best possible
result upon every detail This, fortunately can be
brought about as it Is not party question.