Evening journal., 1890-01-24
BALLOT REFORM DISCUSSED.
Senators saxton aud Linson Before the
senmto Committee at Albany.

senators Saxton aud hinson Before the
senate Committee at Albany.
ALBANY, Jan. "a The senate committee
On general laws gava hearing on the Sax.
ton ballot reform measure aud on tho sini.
lar Linson bill. Senator Saxton offered
amendments to the bill One was that the
party nominees be grouped, instead Of group
ing the Office for which the nominees were
running. He thought that this made the
matter less complicated for the voter An
other was that amendments to the constitu-
tion shall be printed in full so that the voter
may write ''Ycs" or mo" II the nomiua-
tions are made blank, columns are left for
the voter TO write any name he chooses
sun another Is that in case OF a candidate
dying special ballot shall be printed aud
used IN voting for that Office, In which the
voter shall write the name OF his choice
Another provides that the voter, instead OF
marking his choice with an * - shall strike
out the names Of all those whom he does
not wish TO vote for, leaving chose he does
want TO vote for. He did this ia accordance
with suggestion by Governor Hill.
Lieutentint Governor Jones was the noxt
speaker. lis objected 10 the adoption OF
the Saxton bill on the ground that il inter
fered with voters in that IL deharred men
who cannot read or write Ha was Ia favor
OF an insignia Of devices, such as star or
cross, SO that man desiring TO vote can
mark the insignia Of the party, aud at once
vote the whole ticket
Ex-senator Grady, Of New York, said be
represented no organization in speaking.
he protested against the bill because Of the
principle underlying it. The present sys-
tem was good enough. II all that is wanted
is secrecy Of tho ballot, then all you want
il "a MIA fp ftta H..
vote IN an official envelope. Il was a mis-
take to say that the people wanted ballot
reform OF that kind he dill not believe in
the general cry of corruption Voters are
Influenced; there must always be a number
influenced; but the general number Is not
This bill does not in any way stop bribery
There will be difficulty under the Llnson
bill, which provides simply for an official
ballot In the future the people will speak
as in Che past through tho ballot against
the Saxton exclusive bill.
Senator Linson said he did not agree with
Mr. Grady, and thought that there was "A
good deal Of corruption at the polls He had
tried In his bill to satisfy the objections OF
Governor Hin, who had declared against the
exclusive official ballot The Saxton adj
herents know that Governor Hill will not
sign bill containing provision for AN ex.
elusive official ballot He had never heard
that anybody had attempted TO defend that
principle Of the Saxton bill. He could not
see that the Saxton bill did away with cor
ruption or fraud or bribery. Tho only way
was to have secrecy Of the ballot alone, and
then the briber would refuse money because
he cannot SEQ the man deposit III
Senator Saxton said that he was sure that
public interests demanded the billand would
have it. lie believed that ia the amend.
ments TO the bill he had cut all the ground
from under the governors feet He aid not
believe that he would refuse 70 sign the bill
lie recited the governors constitutional OBJ
lections, and said that all had been over
come IN the present bill lie claimed that
every country that had ever ADOPTED tho
Australian system had adopted its funda-
mental principle-the secret official ballot.
He believed that under his bin it would not
be essential to have a now and more perfect
registration law for the country districts
He claimed that the official ballot would
prevent assessments upon candidates usually
attributed 70 that cause The Saxton bill
wanted to place the voter so that no corrob
orative evidence Of the way he had voted
could be obtained Under the bill the ar
rangement Of candidates is such that only
an idiot could make any mistake
The senate general laws COMMITTEES re-
ported the Saxton ballot bill today 20 be
printed again, with the amendments offered
at the hearing and recommitted for another
hearing next Wednesday, when final action
will be taken by the committee