New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-26
HILLS RIGHT ABOUT FACE.
rwO vETOES OF THE GOVERNOR THAT DO
NOT AGREE.
KILLING Mr.. Masses BILL TO PREVENT RE-
PEATING AT THE POLLS IN FIsHklLL
a sUIFrrY STATESMAN.
IbY TELEGRAPH TO THE TBiBUNEI


"A sHIFTY STATESMAN
IbY TELEGRAPH TO THE TBiBUNEl
Albany March o5-Governor Hill continued To-
night hts practice of killing all bills that If enacted
into law by his signature. would prevent illegal Vot-
Ing AS usual. also tho Governor Vociicronsiy DC
clared IN his veto message that he was earnestly IN
favor of pure elections Tho measure he vetoed
was introduced by Assemblyman Mase. OF Du;chess
County In # Mr. Masc extended 10 the town OF
Etsbk,, on the Hudson River, tho provisions of the
general registration law. This town Is directly OPP
posj,e 10 the city of Newburg on the west bank of
the Hudson. Last fall there were 1900 votes cast
in rtshkill Mr.. Mase believes that 900 votes out
NJ this number were cast by Democratic reporters
rom Newburc. With tho purpose Of stopping this
fraudulent, voting Mr.. Mase had a bin passed by the
legislature requiring the registration OF voters IN
Ffshkill Tho as they required TO register
Heir names annually In New-Yorh and other citi's.
This was the bin vetoed by Governor Hill, who
gives as an excuse for his action that general
registration should be passed affecting all country
districts whether they adjacent TO cities or not
The act being special preventing fraud at the
polls by Democratic repeatcrs at only ono place. he
will not sign IT, The Governor in the course of his
veto message. OF course. turns aside to aim blow
at the saxton Ballot Reform bin lie says, with
wink at ". BOurkc Cochran and the other leaders
OF Tammany Hall:
What the people want is substantial and practical re-
form rathcr than he of theories the
adoption OF doubtful unred experiments relating to our
elections.
lie saws. with an amusing assumption of lack
of knowledge, that he has heard that Senator
!inson Democrat has bin providing for
the general registration OF country voters.
Was this bill prepared IN the Executive Cham
Der the time with the bin which the same Lnson
introduced in the Legislature fortnight ago as sub
stitute for Mr.. SaXton's Ballot Reform bill The Gov
crnor is as innocent child in his argument that
there should be general registration of the voters
In the country districts. He. of course. Is unaware
that the Republican farmers who live thirty miles
from the polls would find great difficulty I'm registering
every year. and In many would neglect ibis duty
and lose their votes; and that, moreover, in the
country where every is known there is no danger
of fraudulent voting The Governor says in his veto
This bill proposes extend the provisions Of the Cen
elcl Registration Act for cities that it shall apply to
The town OF Fhkil in the county Of Duchess The bill
Is that there exists necessity for registration
in the country districts Of the state The Sit
uation Rshk is different from thai which exists in
all the large ana villages in the rural portions Of
the State. II registration Is demanded In FsRkil IL is
equally demanded elsewhere. II 1t is deemed necessary
IN ono town Duchess County order preserve the
purity OF elections therein the same facilities for the pre-
Of fraud should be afforded TO the rest Of the STATE
There to this position. cannot approve
special law for town, not because registration law
required for that town but because there should be
passed general registration law applicable to all the
owns OF the State No reasonable argument or excuse
De advanced why tuch genera registration III" snou4u
be enacted. while this bill in ito present shape can
consistently be approved Its presentation at this
uncure is opportune because it is emphatic rccogn-
ton Of the necessity registration for the prevention OF
upon the baot-box and leads the suggestion Of
the des ability general and comprehensive legislation
UPON the subject
These are noble words but has the Governor for
gotten his veto of Assemblyman Youngman's bill IN
1o-7. which extended the registration system OF
NewYork and Brooklyn TO all the other cities I'm
he he hv Nrhi of. mn II
present himself at the place of registration at least
mCe a year? In all of the cities Of the state,
except New-York and Brooklyn. voter once having
REGISTERED his name need not do again. IIc
He or remove from the city, but sill h nauc rcihain>
on the roll. Tic Democratic bosses in tie cities
obtained possession of the OF thousands of
dead voters absentee voters and, by aid Of repeat
ers, voted upon the names OF these men. 1t 20
stop this fraudulent voting that the Republican Legis
iature passed the Youngnan act. II was obvi-
OusIy just measure that 1t passed both Senate and
Assembly unanimously, Democrats we'll as Rcpnb
icanS voting for II. But Governor fInh, at the In
stgaton Of Edward Murphy jr., the chairman of the
Democratic State Committee, vetoed the measure.
Murphy lived in Troy, and his power rested upon
the lists Of fraudulent voters in that city. Mr. Hi
began that veto with these woids
This bill proceeds upon the theory that the majority Of
voters are dishonest Tor the sake Of possibly preventing
few dishonest from voting, his bin would add
to the inconvenience ana often the expense Of register
ing as to practically di,flanchse many honest voters
Under modern business methods many continually
from their homes for more than three weeks at
time and able only much Inconvenience and expense
return fos the particular day for election.
All the Governors argument two Yeas ago in oppo-
.uon to signing Mr. Noungmans biz clashes directly
his veto message Of tonight. The Governor. III
hat message Of two wears argues almost directly
hat the country VOt.IS should not be subjected ~
tie Inconvenience OF registering their name,