The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-04-08
BALLOT REFORM.
The Joint Committee Bill,
Slightly Amended, Goes
TO Third Reading.
REPUBLICAN OBSTRUCTIoNIsTS.
Mr.. Potts Leads the Opposition with
a Bitter Fight for a Crank
Substitute.
REPUBLICAN oBsTRUCTIoNIsTs.
special to the Jersey city Mems.


TRENTON, April s, 1S90.-The rumors
that the House would devote the evening
to the Ballot Reform bill drew the larg-
est crowd to the Assembly Chambers
last evening which has as yet attended a
Monday night session this year. The
House took up the bill upon second read
ing. Mr.. Potts objected and wanted the
measure to be made q special order for
ten q. m. Wednesday. His reason wa
that he wanted more time to study the
bill and prepare some amendments.
Mr.. Marsh hoped the motion would not
prevail. The bill had been in the hands
of members some days, he said, and they
ought to be thoroughly acquainted with
its provisions by this time. Mr.. Potts
motion was lost and Reading Clerk Moo
a waded through the seventy-three
sections of the bill in q which
filled the ladies IN the gallery with
delight.
Mr.. Voorhees, came up smiling with an
amendment which changed the time al
lowed the Boards OF Registry in which to
complete the revision of the list of voters
from four to five days. 3
This was adopted and Mr.. Voorhees, APP
peared next with an entire new.section,
which was numbered 81. and oil the sub
AAS WOAC W OuGs IA
new clause provides for an official en-
velope, in which the ballot is to be
deposited by the voter. 1t is then
to be sealed up and put in the
box. The envelopes are to be
furnished in the same manner as the
official ballots, and are TO consist. OF the
same quality of paper. In addition to the
number of the precinct and district in
which they are to be used, the envelopes
shall have upon them a fac smile of the
clerks signature and any other mark by
which The envelope can be identified
vitiates the ballot. There are to be twice
as many envelopes as registered voters.
On counting, the envelopes are to
be cut open at the end, the
ballot taken out and counted,
aud then replaced and strung in the
usual manner. If any envelopes contain
two or more ballots none of them shall be
counted, and il a voter spoils his envel-
ope another hail be given him. In case
the envelopes shall be stolen or doc
tored"in any way, then The ballot is to
be folded SO that only the official stamp |
is visible and then voted.
This, together with various changes in
the different clauses to make them CON
form with the envelope scheme, was car
rfeu.
By the time Mr.. Potts had finished
his amendment, which turned out to be
q substitute. The substitute consists
of the first nineteen sections of the com.
mittee's bill relating to a system of regis
t~ration. q provision for the form of the
ballot which places all the candidates on
one ticket and compels a man to check
off whom he votes for, a provision for
voting compartments restricting the dis
tribution Of the official ballot to the
polling place on election day, and
the schedules A, B, G and d of the Kane
bill OF last year In introducing his sub
stitute Mr.. Potts said its features were
IN successful oper stion In several States.
Mr.. Cole managed to get the floor at that
point, and had adopted an amendment
which provides that none of the registry
officers shall hold any other public office.
MIR. Potts then advocated his section re-
stricting the distribution of the ballots.
He said that such q bill was advocated by
all the labor organizations of the State,
and nine-tenths of the true ballot reform
ers. He wanted his substitute printed,
but Mr., Marsh objected, as it would cause
delay.
Mr.. Potts fought manfuny for his sub
stitute, but all in vain; his motion was
lost and the bill went to a third reading
ed.