New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-15
BALLOT AND PRISON REFORM
ACTION OF THE UNION LEAGUE CLUB
REPORTS OF TWO COMMITTEES READ AND
UNANIMOUSLY ADopTED-A CHOICE OF
rrrCronAL MEASURES OFFERED TO

nm ~ .Lo ,,,cst harmonious meetings Of the Union
League Club in recent years was helu last even
ing. Chauncey NJ Depew presided ana ,. w. Fay
WAS in l1s place as secretary. among those
,roeo,,t u,cre Albon p Man, lie Grand t. Cannon,
nanioI + Applcton, f. i. linsdalc, Ehhu Root,
Themes G Acton. A. r Whitney, John +. Plum
n,cr e p. Huntington. General William I. Sher-
man. Colonel Elliott F. Shepard, y. L. T. Billings,
Cornelius n Bliss, Marshall h. Blake John X.
Cillcy. Charles Watrous, Ccphas bfaIherd George
II Sargent. Salem II. Wales, George Montague,
DR.. ARGYLE Watson, NJ. w Cooper. P"yson Merrill,
+ H. Perkins, W. c. Browning, Richard Butler,
Charles T. Gregory, Francis Baker, Emerson Foot,
Horace B. Fry, Cyrus j. Lawrence Seth NJ Mill
ken, Emory Lclrnd. Francis u, salConstall, VIII
lam Hart Smith, Lorenzo G.. Woodhouse, Edward
Y Taller and Alfred Van Santvoord The princi-
nal business of the meeting was the consideration
Of the reports Of the Committees on Electoral Re
form and PoIitica Reform. The former read
Inv rIibu Root. and was listened to with careful
attention. 1t was received with universal salts
faction and adopted without dissenting
vote It refers to the great interest
which the question of ballot reform
has received within one or two years, although
the Democratic party, at least in the East, had
not showed lively zeal in its favor. Massa-
cbusetts. Wisconsin and Kentucky had enacted
laws somewhat similar TO the SaXton BILL those in
the latter States being applicable to the cities OF
Milwaukee and Louisville The report goes on
to say:
TO CHECK THE BUYING OF VOTES
The object sought 10 be obtained by ballot reform
&c 10 check the fast growing evil OF the buying OF
votes But incidentally, another OBJECT Is sought d!
provding that ballots shall be printed and distributor
at the public expense, which renders IL possible LOT
candidates 10 be put before the voters Z
of more party nominations In Ouer WOIuS II ieieIs
citizens, movements practicable hder to, eAI9tIIB
system any citizens movement III LnIs gu! y na .I
cooncJ with the necessity Of cNpcndlhg nor less Aah
S5tf 600 in nrntng and distributing It's ballots al the
uOs Tho printing ana d!slIlDunb Va I,,2 ~,
fbc hubble expense would also take away me plauspe
I fnr bi5bery involved IN paying numerous per.
sons 10 attend at tho polls ulucr 'n' p''''N'0 VI
us All i6n mans proposed for checking, by ballot
rcf1in the Guying Of votes proceed upon me theory
- ~ the ballot Is made absolutely secret, so mat
g. ca11ot he known how person votes, there VIII be
no lnducemeut 20 pay him money lot ms nI, tcv
purchasers viii not spend tacF 1 t&oy rct what
iLcy nav for This theory undoubtedly correG.
ane of honor WHO viii feel bound TO carry OUT thGr
a grocgIcut /, vote in n particular way ~. ~.
Enowl.dg, whether they do 50 VOC Is co''Ni''u "
II IS obvious that this secrecy Of the ballot may ne
obtained IN more man one m c eocrecy is obta,n,d
Ey allowing only ballots to be VOtei WIch arc o,i
printed. and which tie voter can oo' UnS lIUt
p .cs NJ me candidate " all parte,, and from
item The voter IS to solcN those whom ne HgsrcS ."
[,otc for by marking their names ON the taup, IN
room or COMPARTMENT whore no one can see "ha he
docs. The only place I'm this country Whe.e such /"
law las vet gone into actual operation Is az Louisville
Ky. where # is applied only TO municipal Gecu tt
Tie ballots are terr printed IN pooLS WIN IN S'"t bc
uolI Doo'J the stubs and vote, being numbered ING
voter after getting his balgt marks u ~ Ct aa,
lcsdir, Democratic paper of Kentucky, edl'ed ny
Hcrry Watterson, strongly commends 80 I'LL. T..
bv Ereping every one except the election officer 50
Tar away from thc POI, that one can til Wnal
TaiIoI c ("y ,,o b9 barsslreG for lis vote or
which he has substituted IN IS place.
operation at NIlwaukc" The law provides Tor
uclc,- DOM and yotlnrraom. In ne taIo,- IooL'
and each party /, entitled 10 name custodian OF
ballots, who remains I'm lhr roumi DuJ u 9iIIcLS IOI
Hucncc upon The voter An intending voter /, adj
rlttcd 10 the ckct-room. After getting his balIot ne
PpSf but not through the cLciroom Only one voter
IS allowed at time either in the uckft room or me
uniform and without any Distinguishing mark, this
system secures secrecy OF the ballot except rom the
mis- law. the Governor Of Wisconsin says in his
message, has given universal satl faction at two I'M
portant elections.
QUOTING GOVERNOR HILL.
The report quotes from Governor IlilIs message
his objections to the SaNton bill and says
1t Will be seen therefore, that while Governor HID
advises me plan of keeping people al distance rom
the polls and accepts the plan Of printing ana as rs
tnbuting ballots al the public expense, he opposes the
plan dcpIyiHg the voter Of the nght 10 use udio
not officially printed and Of having me Daliot IaLhga
by an inspector, and that he ho!ds the Iallcf Pio-
vision. II not the former. unconstitutional.
Governor nm, consent is absolutely necessary 10
iIcve either that he will sign bin which contains ihc
features which he emphatically condemns; or mar
We are thus presented with a condition, not the
Dry II IS possible insist upon the passage OF me
eranry y tat n NH be- yeoad In this way the
familiar process known at Albany as putting me
fortunately past experience seems 10 show that this
process Is unpleasant 10 The Governor pclh1P1
do the people and tic cause Of ballot reform no
that II requires but very few changes 70 eliminate
from II all those portions 10 which Governor iiIl de-
from Lill Of fourteen pages would accomplish this
result Tho bill would then De itlJ procuring C9.l-
Of ballots with le power % thc voter 10 prepare this
Official ballot In absout" secrecy az me pouS, Inc
pare his ballot Ar home or 10 receive It as now from
distributors the street ana therefore, uhher
not Te absoInteiv derived Of the power to know
whether he got the good, he paid for or whether the
But If Their. were added to the saxtOn bin some
provisions such as have been found useiuI In ChrI
| States preventing persons Other than those ABOUT
vote from coming within certain distance OF The
polls. iorlild!ng cl'cionceTlug or me exposure yl
/ e.
prrcautiou, Of this nature, the vote buyer would be
deprived Of that certainty which Is believed TO be
essential the successful prosecution OF his mess
To such law as this Governor liiii seems committed
and e. would certainly be great advance over tho
| present system The Republican party OF THIS Stat
! stands however pledged 10 seek to accomplish NOR,
than this, II is I'm effect pledged To the SaXtOn bill
and f. ought not 10 be content until It succeeds IN
! placing upOn the Statute book a law or laws Whlch
| contain all hs essential features There may be
constitutional objections to the proposed marking Of
/ The ballots by The inspectors or ballot clerks Thai
depends upon the question whether the Constitution
when Il speaks Of a ballot means ballot which the
voter SHAH have r. in his power 10 make absolutely
! beyond tho possibility Of Identification. properly
guarded system Of stamping would perhaps remove
this difficulty
TWO BILLS ADVISABLE.
As the most practical way of meeting the question
We advise that the saxton bill should be divided into
two bills and that both be passed by the Legislature
and presented to Governor Hill for his signature
The ono Of those bills would contain the features We
have referred TO- TO which the Governors approval
seems pledged The other we cannot hope, unless he
secs new light, that he would approve. If he signs