New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-18
THE UNION LEAGUE Plan.


The Union League Club has made a recon-
mendation with regard to Ballot-Reform legis-
lation, which deserves careful consideration az
least. at the hands of the Legislature. 1t VIII
he remembered that Governor Hill displayed
extreme anxiety upon this subject in his annual
message. He was made to realize as soon as
the workingmen showed where they stood IN
this matter that he was in very awkward
position. When he came to write his message
he sought to propitiate them by saying as much
as possible in favor of Ballot Reform without
going so far as to cut loose entirely from the
trading politicians of Tammany Hall and the
County Democracy, Therefore we find that IN
his message, while not positively tavonng the
printing and furnishing of ballots at pubic ex-
pense, he expressed himself as disposed to
recommend its adoption as an experiment falr-
w entitled to a reasonable triap'; also that he
is willing to see law passed keeping all per-
sons except the peace officers and the elector
actually engaged in voting at distance from
the polls while he is casting his vote, thus Sc
curing a large degree of secrecy, such as exists
under the Milwaukee law. On the other hand
the Governor distinctly opposes the provision
declares that it would be unconstitutional to
require ballots to be marked by the ballot
clerks.
The proposition submitted by the Committee
on Electoral Reform, and approved by the Club
is that these two latter features shall be elm
mated from the Saxton bill, which can be done
by dropping thirty lines from bill of fourteen
pages, and that the thirty lines shall be framed
in separate bill, both to be passed and pre-
sented to the Governor. The latter he would
undoubtedly veto; the former he could not re-
fuse to sign without disqualification from
which even he would probably shrink. The
result would be that we should have law pro
viding for the printing and distribution OF bal
lots at public expense, and so doing away with
the necessity for assessing candidates, and also
screening the voter from observation while he
is casting his vote, In other words, we should
have better law than in Milwaukee where tho
authorities do not furnish the ballots. The
party could continue to press the unsuccessful
bill for years, if necessary, until IL became a
law.
This is the proposal. One important point
to be considered is whether the enactment OF
such law, svowedly to meet the Governor s
views, and one not carrying into effect all the
features of the reform to which the Republican
party is pledged, would involve surrender Of
principle, such as many Republicans have felt
would be involved in the passage Of the Excise
Commission bill without the previous passage
of High-License bill. An effort has already
been made to SHOW that the cases are parallel.
But are they so9 The Legislature could not
pass Tho Exu1sa- Commission blu and b HIGH
License bill and send them 10 the Governos
at the same time, because the one would con-
tradict the other In the SUMS fixed for license
fees. But the two bills into which 1t Is pro-
posed 10 divide the Sazton bill do not conAict
IN any particular. They III together Ike the
two halves of an apple They could be sent
TO the Governor on the same day without the
least inconsistency, and If he should choose TO
sign both, the total result would be we'll
rounded law. Then IL is also 30 be remarked
that the large reducton-in the fees proposed by
the Excise Commission amounts to lowering
of the standard fixed by the High-License bills
of preceding years. Does the omission from
one bill Of the provisions that only official bal
lots shall be used, and that ballot-clerSs shall
mark the ballots, present parallel case
These are important features Of the law, but
are they equal in Importance to the others
The bill which the Governor must sign, in order
not to be laughing stock would give us bal.
lots printed and distributed at public expense
put an end to bribery through the form Of
hiring workers." and would secure secrecy
in casting the ballot. Are not these the chief
features of what Is known as Ballot Reform
II seems to US that 10 divide the saxton bill into
two parts, so that the Governor could not re-
peat HIS fayorite trick Of defeating the whole
of reform upon pretext attached to some
one part Of It, would not involve the Repub.
licans in any Inconsistency.