New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-15
THE NEW BALLOT LAW.
A TALK WITH ITS AUTHOR, SENATOR
SAXTON.
IT'S CUMBERSOME AND EXPENSIVE FEATuRE0
DUE TO GOVERNOR HILL-THE MEASURE
TO BE AMENDED AT ALBANY
NEXT WINTER.

FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Clyde, n. Y, Sept. l3.-This village is the hons
of the author of the new Balot-Reform law, Sen
ator Charles T. Saxton. That fact is apparene.
at least to the postmaster Of the place, in the
large number OF letters bearing the inscription OF
reform and political clubs that come into his
hands addressed to Senator Saxton.
My mail has been very large since the sd-
journment of the Legislature" said Mr.. Saxton
to-day to The Tribune correspondent, and has
mainly consisted of letters respecting the Ballot
Reform Act. In these letters there has been
wide variety of questions respecting the act and
it's proper interpretation Apparently there Is
great interest In the subject
What do you think Of the trial Of the law aS
Far ROckaway?"
Il am glad it was tried although 1t 1s clear
that the commands of the act in many respects
were not observed. believe that poll-workers,
for instance, were not kept $50 feet away from
the polls, as required by the law, and too much
liberty was taken BY the inspectors Of election In
instructing voters. Politicians as class do not.
wish the act to be success, and therefore throw
all the obstacles they can in the way OF it's work.
ing smoothly. They denounce the act as CUM
bcrsome and unnecessarily expensive. They are
now attempting TO excite the farmers against 1t
By arguing that it is too costly. Whatever cum.
bcrsomeness there may he in the act and unneces'
sary expense they both are -1ue to features in-
jccted into the act by Governor Hill The cost
of printing the ballots would be far less II tho
act provided for blanket ballot instead of sep
aratc ballots one Of each kind for every political
party. provided for the blanket ballot in my
first bill hut Governor Hill insisted upon separate
ballots being printed We thus shall have nifty
or sixty millions Of ballots printed where two or
three millions would have been sufficient. Then
take the matter Of numbering the ballots, ana
numbering them consccutively Myself and other
Republicans did not see the need of numbering
the ballots. but Professor Collin insisted upon
our accepting this amendment of the Governors,
and we had to take it. Now this feature OK
numbering the ballots promises greatly 70 en-
barrass the County Clerks, who have the duty OF
having the ballots printed, and it has added great
IL 10 the expense of the printing work. Inc
election officers could have kept an account or
the ballots used and those left in their hands ao
the close of the polls without any diifculty there
was no necessity for having the ballots num-
bcrrl.'
In your opinion, then, the act ought TO oo
amended
II think it will bc: that there will he . De"
mand for its amendment. reduction In tne
number of ballots to he printed can he safely
made. The proportion Of ballots to be printed
for each pons-place is far too large. They
have made such a reduction in Massachusetts,
| think also the numbering of the ballots Will
be dropped by the next Legislature. and there
will be other amendments to the act. Doubtless
the expcriencc we will have with the act at this
election will guide us To make several improve
mcnts to the measure when the Legislature meets
The act may I've cumbersome and expensive
hut in the opinion Of practical politicians IL
will diminish largely the purchase OF voters.
Iradng Democratic politicians say that they
look forward with considerable apprehension ia
the result of the election in the cities OF tho
state where the Democratic vote Is massed 10
seems TO he the general opinion in the state
that Tammany Hall. despite the "paster ballot.'
will lose from 10000 To $4,000 or it's voters
under the act.
Tie county and city officers over the State
have nearly all completed their contracts for tina
erection Of the voting booths TO be used within
the polling places. A good deal Of difficulty has
been found to secure rooms sufficiently large for
polling places In Buffalo they have solved tha
difficulty by making contract for the erection
Of temporary iron houses, which can be taken
down and their parts slowed away for anotner
season. The COUNTY clerks. however, are yet IN
much trouble over the printing ami numbering
of the ballots, and large number of them have
not Vet obtained the registration books from tho
Secretary of state ~
+ f. Baldwin secretary Of the Prohibition
State tommittee said IA few days ago in Emlra
Il think the Prohibition party will derive great
advantage from the operation of the Ballot REFORM
net 1t has always been highly expensive for
H. to print ballots and then send them aoouo
the state and have them pcddlcd at the polls
Now the State a>sunc> this expense for lis amt
leaves lis lnonry to r>prnd in sending organizers
Of the Prohibition party about the State we
shall nominate more men tor the Assembly than
IN former years this tall. owing 10 the passage
Of the act. Ex-Governor 81. John has already
nlIc some Prohibition speeches in the western
part OF the State. and we shall have large
corps Of speakers at work in the State during the
month of October.
Dcspi,s Mr. Baldwin's sanguine speech: i 70
the opinion Of politicians that the Prohibition
vote will fall of This year. .
The first nomination certificate filed with tbs
SECRETARY If State was that of John Sanford. Re-
publirar rnonnaied for Congress from the Sara
ioga District. The nomination will nc put upon
file hv the Secretary of State upon September 90,
the earliest day wlrn it can he legally filed. Tho
SECRETARY Of State has acknowledged it's rcccips
and laid it aside for filing upon the appointed day.