The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-21

ELIJAH HALFoRD, Baby MCKEE. and the
amiable and accomplished typewriter.
The Practical Workings Of the New
Ballot Law.
The discovery has been made at several
seats of political intelligence and instruction.
such as the City Reform, Commonwealth,
Federal. Amity, and Excelsior clubs and
Others, that the new electoral law is
going to effect great changes In the
politics Of the town and introduce great
and many surprises. AS LARRY" GOD
KIN describes it, everything is to be 9TH
erwise than it now is. Thousands Of
courageous and publlc-spirited burghers.
hitherto inundated and overawed from
voting for the favorites OF the Common
wealth Club, are to march to the polls. erect,
pompous, and undismayed. Each burgher
ls to demand his full set Of sworn official
tickets. Equipped with fund OF political
literature-P0st editorials, voters guides,
City Reform Club pamphlets, &c.-he is to
repair 10 his soap box, and, having carefully
scrutinized all the names upon the twenty
or more tickets, and having made wise and
judicious selection, he Is to cast his bow
legged ballot and march from the polling
place like king. While all this is going on.
the miscreants and connlvers connected
with the various political organizations will
by solitary policeman be held sternly at
bay at distance of one hundred and more
feet, according to the provisions Of the new
law. Their interference will be rebuked and,
therefore, their career of usefulness will be
over. The municipal government. freed
from their influence, will come at once to
the brink OF perfection, like cork released
from the clutch Of a crab. Everything will
be merry and harmonious. The standard OF
public administration will be raised so high
that business men, In the conduct Of their
private concerns, will emulate its efficiency.
Only good men will be raised to official
posts, and the wicked politicians will ba
permitted to go and lose themselves, and
they will be expected to be pretty lively
about doing so. too. Meanwhile the magnl-
fed burgher bearing the badge OF his craft
or guild will fill with his Importance the eye
Of the beholder. and we shall all Of us wonder
why changes Of such manifold merit and ad-
vantage were so long postponed.
That is the picture. What. viewed from q
common sense point Of view, are likely to be
the facts ? In the first place. the clamorous
craving for Commonwealth Club candidates
to which the Post and other Mugwump
Journals refer is delusion. There is no
such demand. Not man jack of them could
be elected paper chaser. II the new law Is
going to give the electors larger freedom in
that respect, the result will be most unfor-
tunate for kid-glove aud lavender candidates.
1t will knock the pins Of support from under
their chances.
In the second place, the notion Of
tho reformers that the new law will
eliminate politicians" as they con-
temptuously refer to them, from cleo
ton contests in New York city,
Is foolish error. Under the old law, the
voter. having already received his tickets by
mail or hand. and having prepared them at
home, could vote and did vote as he desired,
without the intervention Of anybody. Or il
not having taken that precaution, he sought
the ticket booth of his party, he required and
assented to no instruction. He received his
tickets and voted them or not as he wished.
How will 1t be under the new law2 He
cannot prepare his tickets beforehand.
because none are distributed. he can
not avail himself Of the services OF
He simply learns that new ballot law In 10
sections aud containing 10000 words has
been adopted that 1t changes the method
Of voting, the form Of tickets, the number OF
ballot boxes. the duties OF inspectors and
tho requirements Of occasion. He finds
himself hampered with rules and restric-
tons. He must receive stated number OF
tickets. fold them in Il certain way, separate
them in duly prescribed fashion, after
preparing them In n manner regulated by
law. ana depart from the polling place by
especially designated door lie must (cUn-
trary to the usage oil years. have all Of his
candidates upon one ballot; he can use only
one; 1t must DO numbered and perforated;
and he can only get II In the polling place,
and must prepare 1t without consultation
with any ono. The law allows him 10 use
"pester," but it must DO printed In a certain
type. on a certain kind OF paper, and OF
certain size. Hedged about IA the elector
will be by these new and un amllIar cOndi-
TONS tO whom will he look for guidance and
Instruction, II NOT To the "pulitlcnns"
To VIII M ol-e cHu lie look; Who else
knows anything about the new law and lts
wOrkIngsf Certainly the intelligent artisan
and mechanic who stops at his Grand street
polling place before going 10 work on Tues
day morning. Nov 4, 1890. Is not going "