New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-23

meets 1t fully 1t provides that instead the ballot
tickets all being prntn ballot they shall be sep
aratedthat is that the Of the candidates nominated
by party shall be placed ticket ana tho'e VI
another another the bill also provides thai al
those tickets shall be official that they shall De p'
and distributed public officers and given OUT only upon
election day, and only within the polngplsce by sworn
officers Of election That seems to me 10 constitute " w
very fullest Official ballot because ITO
ballots be used at the election except those h
provided by the public, at public expense anu
uted by public officers. 80
The voter goes to the polling place precisely as he oh
In the former BILL but instead Of taking one ballot WIN
groups Of upon IT, he taxes several o"o.s
There may be four OF them lhey an Dear ,e
onica stamp initials of the ballot clerks or eecuon
Officers. all OF them to the toosh' 1hefe ne
prepares one OF he desire 70 vote H. ana
refodng all the ballots IN precisely the same form 's
when received them he takes them BACK 10 inc
pos The one he intends vote he takes to the election
oncers They remove the stub that cannot be iden
tilted and receive ballot. The others are placed III
locked provided for the reception OF un|o'eu D'oOS
nobody but the voter having knowledge Of the con.
tents.
saw that this system retains all .he essential features
Of ballot REFORM and Of all the measures on ballot reform
that have heretofore been proposed in this legislature
believe secrecy just complete as would be IN
sured bv :he blanket ballot. details OF this change
were prepared committee Of the Ballot Reform League
Of New-YvrK, consisting Of Wheeler H. Peckhain' the
PRESIDENT Horace E. Demng the chairman OF the General
Committee; Walter Logan, chairman OF ;hc Executive
Committee; and Louis f. Post and another gentleman.
They shaped the other parts of the bill to correspond WIN
remodclled section.
The only change provided for an unofficial passr
ballot 1t authorizes the voter to take mo the pooth inc
master ballot prepared outside eummed upon the back
which shall contain the of all the candidates lie
may paste that upon Of the official ballots ana then tr
upon the paster shall be counted as the voters
choice. l don't regard that change as material
because, strange it may seem, that precise
provision, In my judgment has been in Don
Of the bills which the Governor has vetoed The COM
mttee the Ballot Reform League recommended IT, Ihy
recommended the elimination OF the provision IN the Dill as
reported that the terate ght into the booth
any friend that he chose. Since the bill was placed upon
the desk, however, 1 have conferred with many OF my
colleagues, and ind that that proposition Is regarded as
very Objectionable and dangerous In difference to the
views OF those gentlemen, l have decided to oner an
amendment which Will change that particular provision
Its Object is apparently that the voter may have some
method Of determining how he shall vote beforehand.
certainly understand that there is no reason for any such
provision the bill at all. excepting as pro-
lection 10 the iterate voter
The third objection made by is that the
BILL as he vetoed it, disranchsod the Iterate voter
The said that he was prohibited from taxing
into tho booth ballot prepared at his hresde and that
consequently he couldn't vote at all except by revealing
his choice officers named in the law, who were
not his choice That objection. think. is now met
Instead OF friend marking the balo: on the outside
of the BOOTH friend inside and marks II there
propose substitute that section OF the bill as reported
by committee for the corresponding section OF the Dill
upon the desk
"Iunderstand. then" broke in Mr. Cantor, who
had listened intently to this explanation, " that
the only amendment YOU will offer IS 10 strike
out the provision for pasting, and insert another
that an illiterate voter may he accompanied by
friend ?"
Yes, excepting as to the clause concerning
writing pasting on the ballot. mat is con-
strued by my friends to provide sunsiantla t
determining how every voter may vote ana 10
require the distribution and printing Of party
ballots in precisely the same way as they are
printed and distributed now.
We'll, now, said Mr. Linson, who is Governor
Hills mouthpiece in ballot reform matters. the
League are about good reformers as we have
But has anybody connected with it promised to
indorse the provision that voter should take
friend into the polling place."
essential Of the the bill / never ever thought So
think it's bad provision. Bat there are other
bad provisions; in my sudgment; =, which we nave aye
attitude Of the Governor. 1t is simply a choice
of evils. The practical legislator may have his
ideal. but he is not always able to reach II. ne
Nobody here will question my desire 10 place INST
as good law possible on the statute books
The Republican party, at any rate; want TO 90
that but they can't. because in the Executive
Chamber there is an opinion which differs from
theirs. They will yield q great deal. but they
won't yield everything. They have their con
victions, lust the same as the Governor has his
They are Just as much entitled TO act upon them
as he is. and he has no right TO ask them TO gave
up everything so that he may gey list eAacaN
the Legislature We think it makes very great
step in the direction of ballot reform. not 50 far
as we want to go, but lust as iar as we can;
The idea is capable of growth and expansion, and
the bill, believe will perfect and develop itself
in the natural order of things. in the not very
distant future"
Mr.. Iimson then began protracted harangue,
designed 10 show that the Governor was much
injured person, who had given the majority every
opportunity 10 pass BalotReform law, and that
parflSanShlp alone STOOD Y.
!" 1t is tolcraby clear" he said airily, that we
are not going TO have any ballot reform this year
It's an open secret how this bill was prepared,
and how il got here. It's the result Of COM
promises If the responsible majority Will con
sent. this bill, unamended, might receive the
signature of the Governor Ii it does contain
imperfections what of that? The same old
Juggling performance has De- played over again.
and the majority attempts TO insert IN the PHI
reform which has never received the sanction OF
the Governor. and / don't believe ever can re-
ceive it. If there was proposition which i, gaDs
him to know absolutely how the iloater voted, it
is the proposition that friend may accompany
him into the booth and prepare his ticket There
is nothing in the Governors public utterances
which could lead anybody to believe that he
will put up with that.
provision for the blanket paster in effect pro-
vides for the unofficial BALLOT
1t it. INlt there is this distncton-the
paster-ballot is prepared away from the polls and
his pocket"
well, said Mr. Saxton, if you afraid
Of the provision for taking friend into the
booth, / won't insist on it,"
DO you think the Governor will sign the bin
with that out?" asked Mr.; Linson
Il don't see why he shouldn't
You didn't See any reason why he shouldn't
sign the other.
- don't think anybody else did, either"
But he didn't sign it, and 1t is simply Il waste
of time TO talk of his signing this
Can you give any reason why he shouldr't?"
NO haven't been addressing my ideas II that
want Ballot Reform bill. So do yon, but there
ale certain forbidden and abhorred influences
which won't let you get it, Did you ever hear
O, compromise measure from which all the
cessions were striker out?'
Isn't it a concession to provide that the ballot
shall be separated ?"
ayes, suppose it is.
Then why is it that a bin framed after this
fashion does not meet all the Governors ohiec-
tions?r cried Mr. SaXton, Indignantly. Must
we do line upon line, and precept upon precept as
the Governor tells us?
c1,on do