The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-19
Points in Dispute.

Those who are firm believers In the theory
that in many minds there is much wisdom,
will have an excellent opportunity during
the summer months, when the days are long
and the shadows shorten, to put their IA
vorite fancy to the test OF proof in connec-
ton with the confused and conflicting cleo
toral ballot law which has latterly been con-
ferred upon us. During the past ak weeks
it has been explained by scores OF experts
in public and in private, without bringing to
the surface solitary mortal whose inter-
probation any one else has fully accepted.
The latest aspirant Is a former Corporation
Counsel of this town, who has devoted much
study to the riddle, and has obtained an in
innate knowledge OF what he believes the
law to mean through conferences with
that eminently practical politician" Mr..
HORACE T. DEMINd Of the great Reform
Club. Together, these gentlemen have come
to the conclusion that the view as to one
provision of the law entertained by states
men, politicians, lawmakers, public func-
tionaries, and voters gener ally is.erroneous;
and that, properly construed and read
through the eyes OF knowledge. 1t means
something very different from what 1t says,
or says something very different from what
1t means 1t is not settled which,
The view Of the so-called politicians Is that
an independent candidate will derive no ben
eft from the new law for the reason that, as
only one ballot can be voted, his ballot will
not bear the names Of candidates for other
offices, and therefore he will have to depend
on pastors to elect him. The politicians
base their confidence in this view Of the
question upon section II Of the law:
when nominations are made by convention. com.
mittee, primary meeting as prescribed in section
of this act and candidates are noI named for all the
places on tho ballot the places for tohtch nominations
not shan be Ten blank 10Th the name or the ONCE only
printed on The ballot"
This ia apparently clear enough, but the
representatives OF the Reform Club contend
that the law means something else. They
say that candidate on an independent
nomination can have his name printed on as
many tickets Of his choice as he pleases and
can take the entire ticket nominated by any
or all of the political organizations and have
his own name substituted on each ticket for
that Of the candidate Of the organization.
This Is to be done under section OF the law:
THE Independent certificate may designate and ap-
point tho face thereof Gao persons who for
tho purposes forth II of this act shall rep
resent tho signatures OF said certificate"
Section II says:
There shall also be as many different kinds
of ballots as may be required to comply with tho
directions herenbefore authorized OF the person per
sons designated and appointed provided in section
OF this act upon certificates OF nomination"
According to this theory. most lud-
crous situation would ensue. A Democratic
candidate for Congressman, for instance,
would appear on one ticket only, and
Republican candidate on one ticket only;
but Woman's Suffrage or Reform Club
crank could appear on as many tickets as
he asked the State to print for him, perhaps
fifty or sixty. The hapless voter would
therefore receive on entering the polling
place some sixty-two tickets, on sixty OF
which the name OF the crank would be-
printed, whereas 1t would need an
active search to extricate from the
bunch the one Democratic or one Repub-
lican ticket. The law already provides for
the printing this year OF thirty-two billion
tickets In New York city! If such a pro-
vision as is claimed really exists, the num-
Der would have to be multiplied by forty or
fifty, and the result would be lost In q mass
OF figures as indefinite as the number of
hairs on BARBARossA's head, OF sands on
tho seashore, or Of drops of water In New
York harbor.
This would be indeed ballot reform with a
vengeance, real Teductio Gd abs1rdum of
the whole business.
The new electoral law is SO loosely and
crudely drawn that 1t cannot be said
with any certainty what some Of its
provisions really mean; but the clause
giving persons the right to present an
Independent candidate authorizes them,
under any reasonable Interpretation OF the