Morning journal and courier., 1889-06-08
Saturday, June g, 1889.
A NEEDED VETO.

For some time there has been a demand in this State for reform in the methods of voting. In answer to this demand g bill providing for a secret ballot was passed by the legislature. This bill has been vetoed by Governor Bulkeley, and though the neces- sity for reform remains, his message to the legislature amply justifes his action, for it is evident that the bill would not bring about the reform desired.
 It is surprising, not to say astonishingly, that 50 little attention was paid during the discussion of the bill to what 1t would do if it became 8 law. As the governor points out, the commendable anxiety of the advo- oates of the bill for greater election safs- guards has led them to jump to the eonolu- sion that under it present evils will be done away, without their having given to 1t care ful study of what it's adoption signifies, what it's machinery Is, and what it's possibilities are. The system has, indeed, worked well in Australia and in England, where but few be troublesome affair to vote under it in such place as New Haven. It has been discovered that the ballot for town officers here would be about five feet long, for jus- tices of the peace about the same length, and the ballot for city officers would be about two feet long. Imagine a voter who can read just enough to become voter shut up in the coop with ballot five feet long and containing perhaps two hundred names fer him to select from and check. He would be allowed five minutes in which to do 1t, and long before he could get through the toil- some task, it would become necessary for the constable to remove him and make room for the next. This and other difficulties in the application of the system would, 1t is plain, make it of no effect.
 The governor is also not satisfied that the billiwould banish fraud and corruption from the polls. On this point he says: Methods may be changed; but the opportunities will still exist. These opportunities present more serious dangers than mere corruption of the individual voter under our present system can possibly do. A voter may now barter his vote; but no man now has 1t In his power to barter the vote of precinct. Under the bill collusion between election officials might defeat the will of hundreds,
 
 more than the most fragrant corruption un- der present method has ever hoped to accom- plish. The easy access of voters to the ballot boxes, as now in vogue may have it's evils; but 1t renders the practice of other and greater evils impossible. cannot shut my eyes to the danger that turks under the complete surrender of the election machinery into the hands of few, and the withdrawal of the oversight of those whose interest makes them watchful and vigilsnt.
 Other reasons why the bill should not be- come 6 law are given by the governor. All that he says concerning 1t is sound. After reading his message those who have blindly advocated the bill because it promised re- form will wonder that they did not see what it meant. The veto message shows again what all the governors veto messages have shown-the advantage of having @ olesr- sighted and courageous man for governor.