New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-27
FOR BALLOT REFORM.
GROWTH OF THE NEW LEAGUE IN IFS
FAVOR.
THE ORGANIZATION HAD 1.o7s COMMITTEES AT
WORK IN wEEK-PLAN OF THE
AGITATION.

AGITATION.
The first notices for the organization Oh .nc NC"
York Ballot Reform League were sent OUT SATURDAY
December Ia At the end OF the following "eeA A'0'
committees were at work. Yesterday ohVer Sun"o
Toau chairman OF the Committee on Enrolment, con
Sacr,,v asserted his belief that by tomorrow nigh
there would be 10000 men at work, all Thoroughly
organized and equipped and all earnestly endeaVors
70 bring about the much needed ballot reiorhl' lux
headquarters OF the League are at NO 10 Cor'anos'
There are no salared officers except the Inemoe's
of the clerical force, and the manner IN wmcn Il'
work NJ canvassinr the city has been systematized
and the preparations that have been made for oaryns
out the objects Of the League reflect great cedt OF
the men who have voluntarily devoted ther uhe
and energy to the movement.
The New-York Ballot Reform League had us origin
in an organization Of labor reform clubs, which al
i,s bcrinninr contemplated nothing like great
reform measure as that which the League Is now
rsedged. The growth of the organization was RAPID
and 10 still further stimulate 1t some OF the leaulhs
Republican clubs invited TO Join the associa'io
Then there further increase in the impor'an.e
of the League until IL has become great non-paru
San hody which includes in its membership
ibe following organizations Republican-the West
side Republican Club, the Volunteer Associa'oh' inc
Lincoln Club the Federal Club the Hish nc ~ "
Republican Club; Labor-the Manhattan snSio-i"A
Club the Ballot Reform League, the Amity Associa
lion the Excelsior Labor Club; Independent-the ooin
monwealth Club the City Reform Club, and Demo
cratic-the Reform Club.
The president is Wheeler II. Peckham' Democrd'o'
and the vice presidents Repubhcan-Chauhcey W.
Depew James Redpath Julien T. Davies Independent
Carl schuIz Democratic-Thomas u Ou"h'n,'
Charles W. DAYTON, William J. Coombs William W.
WINS: Labor-Hcnry George, Samuel Gompers Inc
secretaries are Lawrence Durham, independent
A. J. Steers Labor, and Lucas j. Van Aleu- hcP"oi'
.. .t
On every committee every party is represented inc
chairmen being follows: Executive Conlmu'ce'
Walter s Logan, Democratic; on Finance, Nlllam J'
COMBS Democrat: Agitation and Prlntlhg' VIII
lam NJ WINS Democrat; on Enrolment, Ohver sum
ner Teall. Republican; General Committee, Horace f.
Demng, Democrat. M,
The nlan of operation is that the General Committee
have entire management OF the affairs OF the League
tbe Executive Committee directing the details OF the
work. From the members Of the Executive Com
mttee the committees Agitation and Printing, on
Finance and on Enrolment appointed.
This takes one down to the actual work of the
League which is well explained in diagram pub
shed by the organization. which represents the Cen
.ral Committee at the head Of affairs, below it, on
level the Finance, Executive and Agitation and Print
ing committees below these the Enrolment Com
mittee and below this the divisions Of the Enrol
mont Committee twenty -four in number one for every
Assembly District There is a further division OF
every Assembly District into election districts every
election district having committee OF fifteen active
duty to canvass.
petitions on which are printed the number Of the
election district and Assembly District, with the
boundaries in which each is to be circulated are ad
dressed TO the Assembly and Senate of the State Of
New.York. The petition Is hrst' that all
ballots shall be official and shall be
printed and distributed at the public expense;
second that the Of all candidates for the same
Office shall be printed the same ballot third that
all ballots shall be delivered to the voter within the
polling place, election day, by sworn puoho
officials fourth that only Official ballots so delivered
shall be voted the voter being guaranteed absolute
privacy in preparing his ballot and secrecy of the
ballot being compulsory fifth that voters shall
have the right TO nominate candidates by properly Ger
tilted petitions
The residence OF every signer is to be given
with his name, and when the petitions have all been
classified nged prior to being sent to Albany
il will be easy find the names. residences ana
election districts OF sgner, so that every AS
sembIyman and Senator from New York City VIII
know who those are who demand ballot reform. There
is an object in having the petitions thus filled QUIZ
one hundred thousand names are to be signed 10 Ile
pettOns and Mr.. Teal, chairman OF the EhlomeI1
Committee reasoned that simply great number Oh
names thrown together promiscuously, wOulo nave
little influence on the body to which the petuon IS
nresented but that II the same names CLASH
fed as TO let every Assemblyman and Senator know
that a majority of the people in his own district
favored the reform, the effectiveness OF the petuoh
would be greatly increased Mr.. TEAL, speaking OF
the object of the League said yesterday to tribune
reporter:
nWhat we want TO do is TO show the Assembly what
the feeling for ballot reform is in NewYork CITY, The
New-York Ballot Reform League has not attempted 10
provide any bill, set Of laws but simply 10 polhl
out what reforms needed and what we want.
So far as the reform Is concerned, the SaXton bill
would very well. We expect that our petition
hos will
Governor Hill and to the Democratic Assemblymen
because our committees giving great attention 10
The districts which pronouncediy Democratic our
petitions will be widely signed that the Assembly
men will not feel inclined to treat them lightly; -
Mr. Teall having planned the system on which the
League is working, and having set the machinery IN
Watching the progress of the canvass and in directing
the committee work. All the twenty four Assembly
great number of the thousand and more election ds
trict committees have also begun operations reports
Vth Assembly District: General Committee Chair.
man. Cornelius Don0yan secretary Winain , M ESy
John Won Gerxhien 4. J. Smith: Executive Commit
tee-ChalTman A. J. smith secretary ps V Moran orc
With Assembly District: General Committee
Chairman, g. W. Everett; secretary, John S. Paine
Samuel stTasberger, Louis Morris, Joseph Abrams
Chairman Samuel strasberger; secretary, Louis Morris
Joseph Abrams, William F1skert, T. F. Lincoln.
XIII Assembly District: General Committee
Chairman. Joseph McDonough; secretary, 7. F.
Powers.
XVIII Assembly District: General Committee
Chairman, Charles p. Kelly: secretary, John Haml
ton: Executive mmittee-Charman Charles z.
Kelly secretary John Hamilton.
XVIII Assembly District General Committee
Chairman, John Lane: secretary Michael Callahan.
Executive Committee Chairman. Maurice II. Nugent;
secretaries, l.. Mankiewiez, J. SehlOss.
XVIII Assembly District: General Committee
Chairman, NJ. j. McDermott secretary, August c.
Fried.
XIxth Assembly District: General Committee
Chairman. DR.. Walter Mendelson secretary, f. J.
Shrver.
XXIId Assembly District: General Committee
Chairman. VI. j. Gross: secretary, W. H. Robinson.
The first great demonstration by the Ballot Re
form League will he evening in the first week OF
January when mass-meeting will be held at Cooper
Union. Among the speakers who are TO address this
meeting are Chauncey NJ Depew Samuel Gompers
and Carl SchurZ.
The committee of the league in the Xth Assembly
District have called public meeting for tonight at