New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-01-06
TO URGE BALLOT REFORM.
Mr.. SAXTON IN ALBANY WITH HIS NEW
BILL
POINTS - THE BLANKET FORM OF

Albany y. y, Jan. (Specia.-GOvernor Hill has
thought forward anOtlr objection to the SaXton
Ballot Reform bill. lie j, afraid that the Democratic
voter j, too ltcratc' to understand the system OF
ballotng provided for by the bill such objection
is not nattcing to the Democratic voter. but the
Governor doe, not care about such "A criticism. ~
long Tammany Hall and the Kings County Demo
crat, afraid they Will lose their grasp upon the
ignorant voter, they now control, the Governor must
pay heed to their fears and unbushngly state them to
the world Eut >cnator-clcct SaXton l. not dsmay"d
By the Governors new objection. lie has arrived III
Albany with hi new Ballot Reform bill perfected.
and he will submit the measure 10 the judgment Of
the legislature The Governor recently sIgee ted that
registration law b. incO pOrdted In the Ballot Reform
iii. Mr.. saNton has not done 50. believing that
such an interiuinsug Of the two measures might
defeat both.
Let the registration act" he said TO The Tribune
core, rondcnt ne introduced separately; let
The bill recurring candidates to file statement 81
tloir cNpcn,c- also be put In separate measure,
then they will not all 10 success or be beaten
together The thing shall insist upon /, the essen
ta feature, Of the Australian system. secret balot
and official enc. I'm not obstinate IN TINS matter
I'm willing 10 make any reasonable compromise up'h
details. but those two points | deem absolutely
necessary for an effective reform Of our election laws
About the reed for secret ballot all are pIach
c3lly agreed. and the main thing {" WIch Governor
Hin objects i, the official ballot hnt tIhhh ula'
both theory and experience furnish a prcpOnicrance
of argument for an Official ballot. Take the cases oil
Ma-~a, hu>"tt- aud Connecticut for example M''Na
chu,ct- ha, the official and Connecticut the unofficial
ballot In the latter state Governor BulkrcN Ncto'd
the first bill passed hy the legislature and he second
one which he signed. practically drawn 10y
him. And Vet he himself acknowledges that the WORK
INK Of the law J., unsatisfactory compared WIN '''
Massachusetts measure I'm the latter state tiere II
no substantial dissent from th" general appreciation
of the law. The Australian system Official ballot ana
all. g. an unqualified success.
The blanket ballot ha, been adopted By me In
dcfor"nco 10 the suggestions OF those who viewed the
Na~~achm,ctt, election. The Massachusetts, law saw
that each candidate shall Dee named under the ute'
OF the yarou, Office iu alphabetical order make the
order the throughout u" ballot. VIII NUS
tratc: rcrhap, Republican Governor head' inc H't
because his name begins with A. aud the Democratic
candidate for Lieutenant Governor NAV be AT the h'dd
the candidate for that Office because h' name AZ"
bclns with A. The voter viii have to make hl' cho'c
with some intelligence. therefore. because M some
cases Prohibitioni,t VIII head one group
democrat another group and Republican the 'a''
group Ny present plan. II possible j. I" introduce
some regularity into this matter 80 that the voters
VIII have some sort OF gnd" mus
, Rcpubllcan (, AZ ;hc head Of the first
group 81 officers. would have him at the head OF
every other group Tie Democratic candidate
would also Dee iu a certain place and the IFomD'u'h
i-t. ia their II looks To- me ~ Il The Argus OK
this city had made good suggestion "heh IL say y
that voters should eros, ont the names OF All tHo
candidates for whom they do not vote. The Argus
/ am glad Ia -cc, say, That senator Chase" the Demo
crat who represent, the Albany District. VIII vote
lr the >aAtou Ballot Reform BILL ana
THE Argus apparently thinks tbs plan
81 striking ont al tl" names Oh can
dd.tc. not voted lor ny an clcctor Will overcome
OBJ. Constitutional objections OF Governor Hill II
H.H To- o.. 10 f.UtI Ia