New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-11
honeGt of homo industries and for the increase
~ Tho Nations commerce and prestige abroad
rrsrtvc THE NEW BALLOT Law.

TESTING THE NEW BALLOI ~.
rho election for village officers which was
,ola At Far Rockaway on Tuesday must DC
roo,rdcd as yindication of the new Btilot
,a'r rrdor which it was held. Considering
chat the law had its first practical test AT 'niS
election. and that in many respects II rau'c''"'
differs from those which 1t superSedes' IL per
hans worked as we'll as could be eXpec"o'
besides that it did not work better was cVI-
IDENTIFY duo in small measure to llnpcriec'io"'
in its provisions, the main trouble ocihe .n"'
Tho authorities charged with its execution
failed to do their duty. They allowed eec,
,;,ncorino 70 be carried on within 100 feet OF
tho nolIs: they allowed voters to exhibit the
ballots which they were going to cast; they
allowed the timc limit applying to the voting
booths to be disregardcd; they allowed Da'-
lots to be improperly folded. mat inc III,
.pcctors of the election should nave Soie'cu
the law to be disrcgarded in the several par
ticulars named is amazing. Pcrhaps 'no
novelty of the situation caused them to lose
their heads. or perhaps they had not gwen
the law that close and intelligent study which
certainly was its due from such OFFICIALS.
However. all the newspaper accounts OF 'ho
election agree in saying that the law met IT'D.
sonablc expectations, and that every ONO VI
its provisions bore this initial test wl'ho"'
breaking down. This being so, the gain ior
the cause OF reform is great. 1hcre WERE
many men at Far Rcckaway on Tuesday some
If them strangers to the place, who. 1t Is SAFE
70 saw. attended the election hoping to lind
or make y way Of getting around the law III
its essential particulars. One may DC sure
II.,n
tiycs fought, against the passage OF the SaNtoh
bill As long as they dared defy pubic opih'o'i
would have been delighted if Far korka"a!
experience had served to show that the new
law, whatever lis theoretical merits, was
failure in actual practice. These persons ana
tho nolitical bosses back of them, notably
David B. Ill., must have been kccnly dl>ap-
pointcd at the result Of the test l)id ms
modo of clcction work to reduce or abolish the
coyrurtiou of voters -; 1.-The Ncw-lork Her
aid" puts this salient question. and answers II
in the affirmative Obviously, this is the best
sort of tribute to the efficiency OF the Ia"
since the law was drafted primarily to put an
end to the ncfarious business OF yotc-buyihg
and vote. selling Although impcrfectIy IN
opcration on Tuesday. and dead letter as to
certain of its mandates nevertheless 1t rem
dcrcd the poll, at Far Rockaway more Tree
from rcproach than they could possibly nave
been under the old electoral system
4 few Of the minor defects Of the law were
mentioned in TIE TR,BrNE, report OF the
election These and whatever others may ~"
drycupcd AT the November polls, Will doubt
loss be cured hy the next Legislature. f"N-
>lly tho provision in regard Ia Watchers n"r'>
to be mor, specific: obviously. officials ouIht
+, be prohibited from acting n inspectors 81
the elections ~ which they are candl'iatcS II
nav b. well To permit voters +" leave tn"
booth, 50 soon IL they have prepared their
Lallnt>. rather than To- insist that they shall
remain AZ least three minutes: tb" sam" IN
>pc,,brs-in order - guard against mistakes
which would practically disfranchi>c voters
who wcr. their ,irtims-"uCht not (" b" per
mittcd both Ia rec, I'VE the ballots which are Z"
l., voted and those which have been discard
cd Bat whatever amendments may be made
hv the incoming Legislature one thing Is Ger
tain-,h" great underlying principles "f IN"
I'LL will not be- Disturbed. Even IN" Governor
who Ia, vetoed many Sayton bills Is doubt
les, convinced that ballot reform has come u