New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-04
Rt1IOT REFORM At ALBANY.

The Saxton Ballot Reform bill as amended
=, Committee has been reported to the Senate
and is the special order for Thursday OF TINS
week. The Democratic members OF the COM
mittee reporting it presented two dissenting re-
norris one of which is signed by Mr.. Chase and
The other by NIessrs. Cantor and Brown. Mr..
Chase dissents from the majority report be-
cause the Saxton bill as it stands is, as he
claims. "simply a Ballot-Reform Act" lie
admits that the bill, if enacted, "would give
rs an almost perfect machinery for elections
still he opposes it because it does not go 1lr-
tber and contain provisions providing Tor
oeperal registration and dealing with "ntlm-
;dotion corr,rnt practices and the ousting from
office of men elected by violation OF the pro-
nosed new law" The other two Democratic
members of the committee place their dissent
from the majority report on the ground that
the Linson bill is better than Mr.. SaXtons.
OF course. it is eminently desirable that the
Saxton bill should be passed by unanimous
vote There is no politics in it, and since 1t
will secure much-needed reforms 1t ought 10
receive the hearty support OF every laWmaker
nj Albany. We can scarcely believe that MI
Chase will vote against it on its final passage
whatever NAV be his attitude in the interim
rho foot that II does not 90 as far as he thinks
II ought to furnishes only weak ground ior
opposition so long as 1t meets MS Nle"s-ahu
he admits that it does-in regard TO the VITAL
matters of which il treats lie looks upon II as
half of a good loaf; and is not that, Mr.. chase
infinitely to be preferred to no bread? Prob
ably there is no use of wasting words on those
Al I hpttnr than
the other one These Senators may De set
down as against any sort OF genuine ballot re-
form. But whatever the Democratic senators
may decide to do the duty OF the kepuoncah
majority is clear They ought to pass the sax
ton bill. and pass it promptly. AS 1t has peeh
amended it is doubtless as nearly perfect as
nearly free from legitimate criticism as any
bill on the subject can be made. therefore
nothing is to be gained by delay. That there
is an overwhelming and ever-increaslng pubic
sentiment behind the measure is generally con-
coded. A petition for ballot reform which
shall embody the principles of the SaXton bill
is now being extensively circulated IN TINS
city. One of these petitions is to be found III
TIE TRIBUNEs counting-room, and Is daily
receiving signatures from men of all sorts ana
conditions workngmen in large numbers
benp among the subscribers. We mention
this incident because it goes to attest the wide
spread interest which is felt in the reform.
II is indeed a great popular movement.
We repeat, therefore, that the Senate ought
70 mass the Saxton bill, and send it to the AS
sembly for concurrence at the earliest possible
day. BY so doing it will meet the best eX-
,,oo4,+;ono of rho trup friends of ballot reform.
And having disposed of this great measure 1t
will be in order for it to take up the additional
subjects. registration, for example, to which
Mr. Chase refers in his dissenting report. But
first the SaXtOn bill.