New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-13
p.troT 8EroEM ~ CONNECTICUT

| The Connecticut House, in the Ballot-Retorm
/ bill which it has passed, yielded to one Of the
nriucipal objections Of Governor RulEeley, bh:
! rafnsed 10 obyiate another. An amendment
exempting city, town and borough elections
| from It's operation was adopted hut one intro
dncing the system of party grouping Of can
ddaiss was voted down. The change made
would considerably reduce the expense, and
was expected to make it possible for Governor
Bulke!ey to sign the bill. This was considered
TO he technically q new one, needing only
| majority vote and the Governors signature to
become a law; but ruling in the Senate yes
terday. which that body sustained, appears 70
hold that a vetoed bill cannot he amended ana
reintrodured as a new measure and thus threat
ems TO dpfer ballot reform in Connecticut.
II il difficult to understand the obstinate re-
| sjs;ance OF the Connecticut Ballot Reiormers
TO the system of party grouping Of candidates
! The plan Of grouping them by Offices ana not
nv psrties. which the House has now refused
10 abandon. was incorporated in the first Ballot.
Reform bill drawn mp in this state. The
trainers acted as the Connecticut reicrnerS
seem to have done, ont OF fear OF any innova-
ton in the Australian system. But common
sense must be used IN any tranSplanflng, and
il hardly admits OF argument that the condl-
tons of our elections differ much from those
in Australia Canada and England, although
not so much as GovaruOr Hill and other OPP
moments OF the system have endeayored to make
IL appear. As we have stated before. at 4
school beard election in England there Will
sometimes be a. many as twenty-five names on
n ballot. II is nevertheless true that the aver
- lufn with
than el.ewhere. THE TRIBUNE promptly point
ed ont that The literal adoption OF the Australian
ballot would mean the risk OF delay and con-
fusion for the voter, especially in presidential
years and orr suggestion was acted upon Inc
method Of party grouping has been followed IN
the bills passpd since Ia this State and has been
INCORPORATED into the laws Of several Others
~ the Connecticut b,ll should become u law, IL
is likely that party grouping would be adopted
the,s also after little experience Of the system
now proposed
The attitude Of Governor Bulkeley has been
viewed with general regret. There have been
other States under Republican control in whNh
| similar measures have failed. rsnaily because
| there seemed 70 he no decided conviction in the
| public mind that they were needed, hut GOV
| Of apparent opposition 10 the reform itself on
| the part Of Republican holding high repre-
| sentative position. In this State the Republican
| rarity has made itself the special guardian of
| this idea and in most others IL has led the way
| Governor BuIkeey's action detracted somewhA
| from the general Republican record upon THIS
question. A careful perusal Of his veto mes
| sage does not strengthen his position. lie as
| sails the method "a cumbersome, complicated
and EXPENSIVE. The bill is in fact, unch
simpler than the Saxton bill, and except In the
details already noted, seems TO have erred u
at all. in that direction. II Is not an argument
against the reform to say that 1t Will cost
! money The essence Of il ia that the people
nrefer that the cost Of furnishing and dis
tributing ballots shall be betrayed by the state
rather than by the political parties under con.
dittons involving widespread corruption and
generalization Many Of the Governors crit
lcisms of the bin are so sweeping as to read
like attacks upon the system Itself. Intelligent
citizens are not likely 10 be turned against "
by being told that it is "un-American.' IL
there be any system of conducting elections
which secures greater independence and secrecy
for the voter. aud tends 70 check bribery and
corruption. we think highly enough OF the good
sense and quick adaptiveness OF our people 70
believe that that system will soon cease TO be
"uu-A mericau," no matter in Whist country 1t
may have originated.
We give Governor Buckley credit for the
utmost sincerity. and would not insult him by
the suspicion that he has acted Under the stress
Of the ignoble motives which controlled Gov
ernor Hill. But we feel that his attitude is a
mistaken one, and that be should yield to the
popular will. Il Is said that the Republican
press Of the State Is generally against his view