New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-03
B4LLOT REFORM.

Covornor Hill brings to the treatment OF
Ballot Reform all the adroitness Of an I'M
scrupulmus politician, who knows better than
almost ANYBODY else exactly how elections are
d;sborostlv carried The offences by wnich
the will of the people are most ehecuVeiS ue-
feated he is careful to shield under pre'enco
If Guarding the rights of citizens. IL 'iiiS
estimate of the position taken in his lleSsdSo
does the Governor any injustice he Will proo-
ablv have abundant opportunity to make 'io
roct manifest in his treatment Of measures
which may come before him for approval
priberv is the offence which the Governor
,rofossos 70 regard as most dangerous 10 inc
nubGc welfare AS a means OF preventing On'V
france no now recommends an enactment COM
noIIing each voter to deposit his ballot Where
M one can see it, with provision excluding
from, the immediate neighborhood OF the poll
ing-place every person except the oin01i' -"
CHARGE and one voter at time. But nc aV-
taclxs the proposed provision that paiio' p"pol'
shall be furnished by the State alone anu Ies
ularlv numbered or marked by the inspectors
50 that fraudulent substitution Oh Daiio's may
no nrevented. He urges that the citizen ouEhV
RI have the right to bring from his nome any
ballot he may there have prepared ana 10 Fo'o
thot ;f he chooses without its being numbered
~. ,,,orl,od nv inspectors. If that be permitted
there can be no effective provision aennSu
bribery. or against the fraudulent removal anu
substitution of part or all of the 3ailots casO'
and the rights of every voter are leu au 'io
mercy of the dishonest
Governor Hill says that the marking inc
back of ballot paper with the Initials ol III
snec.ors should not be permitted because IL
is unnecessary and virtually destroys the Sc
crecv Of the ballot" This is palpable de-
cont;on. The ballot paper not yet prepared
for voting by the checking or erasule Oh any
names, could indicate to the inspectors ho,nins
Of the intention of the voter, and after 1t has
been marked with the initials OF the inspectors
IL can in no way be distinguished from other
ballot papers so marked and delivered 10 ooher
voters. so that the manner in which each voter
has prepared or checked his paper can IN no
uav he determined The secrecy of the bal
lot therefore. can and must be absolutely
nreserved. if the provisions of the proposed
Sayton law are obeycd and at the same time
No ballots can be counted which have not on
them the marking Of the inspectors to make
sure that they are the papers actually 1urnisheu
TO voters In this way fraudulent substitution
Of ballots may be rendered nearly Impossible
and that seems to be exactly what the GoV-
ernor does not want to prevent, for his OBJ
iections to the marking Of ballot papers are
obviously disingenuous.
There is a little more force. but not much
in the Governors reasoning that the deposit
inc Of ballots not furnished by the State should
he permitted. Here the argument is that the
neglect or dishonesty Of single officer might
deprive of suffrage the people OF great
CITY. and that each party ought TO be permitted
IN furnish correct ballots to voters II the an
thorjties refuse or fail. Possibly the object OF
tbe law might be as well served if it should
nrov;de that. in case of any alleged fraud or
neglect by the authorities to furnish proper
ballots, either party upon giving nouce 10 the
inspectors, can furnish voters with correct bal
loft papers. which each voter shall then submit
to the inspectors for marking on the back be-
fore he prepares one for voting, and that Tor
every such paper so presented and marked
an official ballot paper shall be destroyed by the
inspectors. But in practice no party would re-
sort to the. expense Of preparing separate bal
lots without urgent reason, so that the pro
vision vould be of no avail except in rar4
emergencies
The one thing which is vital, as protection
against fraud, is that every ballot cast should
be certainly identified as one furnished to
voter and marked by inspectors before 1t IS
cast. If the Governor persists in opposing any
provision to that end, it will not be difficult to
determine his motive.
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