Evening journal., 1890-01-08
HILL ON BALLOT RcF 0RM.
That Governors Views on the
Australian System.
MS IDEA or SOME or ITS MERITS.

other salient Points in MIR. Hs.i's sEes-
sage--The First business Of the New
York Leglslature-Gen. ). W. Hustled
Speaker Of the Assembly.
ALBANY, Jan s--Upon taking the chair
in the assembly Speaker Husted said that
measures Of great Importance will come up
for action The regulation Of tue sale OK
ardent spirits is the question Of the hour.
Il Is believed by many that taxation can be-
50 adjusted that personal property aud real
estate may be taxed for local purposes only.
II such solution Of the problem is possible
il will take out OF the legislature its most
serious bone OF contention A COMMITTEES
has been created TO devote itself 60 this sub
iecu Al the conclusion Of Mr.. Husted's adj
dress the Republican caucus officers were
elected.
The Governors Message.
Governor Hill's message recommends ans
enumeration Of the inhabitants Of the stat,
new apportionment and tho adoption IL
hotter election laws He does not wholly
approve Of the Australian system, but says
Il has many good features. He says;
what He Recommends.
"First-I recommend the adoption OF tho
secret compartment system, whereby every
voter shall be compelled 80 enter a private
compartment for the purpose Of examining
or preparing his ballots, and from which be
shall proceed directly 10 the ballot box un-
attended by any one This is the esseuce
and the particularly distinguishing feature
| Of the Australian system. It's essential value
| is readily apparent There can be no direct
| intimidation II the voter can select his bali
/ lot unobserved and its contents are unknown
| except TO himself There will be little or no
| bribery If The briber cannot know to a reason
able certainty how the person brbed act
ually votes II is wholly unlikely that the
| briber will accept the word of the voter
a. to what ticket the Inter voted.
Second = Whatever system is adopted
should be applied TO all elections-general,
municipal and local Third-A general reg
istration Of electors throughout tho whole
state should accompany the secreFcompart-
ment system OF voting. FourthLl recon-
mend that provision b. made for both official
and unofficial ballots
Exeinsively omcial Ballots objected To.
Grave objections exist to an exclusively
official ballot Secrecy Of voting can be
1 tOuiDtiltu IuSb as we'll WAbHoHt lts anu H0
sufficient reason exists why it should be In
sisted upon There is, however, no objection
to candidates being nominated by petition
a. well as BY party conventions; neither il
there serious objections to having ballots
printed at public expense-to be called of
iciaf ballots'--and duly furnished to the
electors at the polling places
Objections 90 the rsaxton Bili."
The governor says there are three COM
stitutional objections to an exclusively
official ballot, such as was provided Tor in
| the perfected "Saxton billn Of last year. II
40 not believe that the Legislature has the
power TO direct that the ballot must contain
. the names Of all the candidates for whom
the elector does not desire TO vote. The
constitutional rignt TO vote a ballot contain
ing the names aud only the names Of those
for whom the i.ctor desires to vote has ex-
listed in this sts, tsr over sixty years. 1t
is submitted that electors cannot be divested
Of that right by a mere statute. These con-
: stitutional and other objections before mem
toned can all be obviated by eliminating
from any proposed measure those provisions
which provide for an exclusively. official
ballot and substituting in their stead pro-
visions for both official and unofficial bali
lotsn
The Question of Prohibition.
The governor does not believe ''that the
people Of the state favor the adoption Of a
prohibition amendment Observation and
experience have demonstrated TO them un-
= less l am mistaken, that constitutional pro
= = hibition is not the best means Of preventing
or mitigating the evils OF intemperance.
& That this view is shared by public senti-
y ment elsewhere is evidenced in the result OF
, y the recent elections in the states Of Massa-
l. I M D..
y Connecticut, in which the question OF prohi-
p bition was directly or indirectly involved ,
Important Measures Touched Upon.
Among the measures upon which the gov
r ernor laws particular stress are; The author
II ization OF a committee 70 act with the repre-
= sentatives Of other states to consider thl
~ question Of the adoption Of uniform mar
1. riage and divorce laws An act requiring
l. the weekly payment Of wages to employs
"A by corporations. A measure creating stat.
I. commission which shall include supervisory
powers over gas, telegraph, electric hgh
and telephone companies An act to pro
vide for compulsory voting A measur'
. providing for rapid transit for New Yorl
: city.
Z In the Senate.
In the senate Lieutenant Governor Jone
/ welcomed the senate ia a long address
r Thirty senators were present
"A Among bills introduced were;
BY Mr. Ives-Mayor Grants New Yorl
rapid transit bill Of last year. Mr.. I've
moved that the railroad committee be in
structed to report on the bill before Feb. l.
= BY Mr. Stadler-Permitting the sale 0
:, liquor at public balls in New York up TO
I" a. m last years billy
= By Mr. Saxton-Ballot reform bill; ais
y his corrupt practices bill
- Adjourned until next Monday night