The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-21
Pecu1iaritIes of the New Electoral Law.

PeculiaritIes of the New Electoral Law.
The summer of 1883. as many persons have
occasion to remember, was made interesting
to those having on abundance OF time,
plenty Of leisure, and no end OF patience, by
the heated and protracted discussion OF the
schedules in the unfortunate MILLS Tariff
bill, which one portion Of the population I'M
dertook to explain to the other portion. and
which resulted in the end In neither portion
knowing anything definite about it. From
present appearances, the new electoral law
adopted by the late Legislature may fur
nish the occasion for similar controversy
and diversion during the dog days and mid
summer nights Of 1890. The supply OF
printed copies OF the law at the Secretary
OF States Office in Albany has twice been
exhausted, and although 10000 copies In
all have thus far been printed and dlstrib-
uted by the State and by private individuals.
but little light has yet been thrown upon Its
provisions. The new law is the work OF q
dozen persons. 1t is obscure and uncertain,
q composite arrangement, crudely joined
and badly riveted, patched and amended at
many points. and requires constant ex-
plantation No philosopher has yet appeared
in New York able to describe It's chief pro-
visions exactly. The only individuals who
have thus far cast any light upon the
subject are those who, by their own admis-
sion, have no practical knowledge OF what
the old law was. Tho humbugs who advo-
Gated the original SAXToN law are unwilling
to allow that their views were not adopted.
From tho parlors of the Commonwealth
Club they have fired the fuse of controversy,
and by tho opening of summer every trained
iurist, advocate. and attorney in town will
stand prepared to uphold his own interpre-
tation of the doubtful points OF the law
against all corners and contestants.
Under such circumstances. it is not sur
prising that journals published at n dis
lance from New York should DO in doubt as
to certain provisions Of the new law. Among
these is the Utica Herald, saying:
THE sun usually in its information is at
in its explanation of tho new ballot laws require
men as dstrCts THE Sun assumes that the division
made the basis of the vote cast That true
only in portions of the State where there no regstra-
10 by Section 10 of tho law. prescribing now
ballots shall be provided and how many. makes tho
basis the voters registered at the last preceding cleo
ton the district The number Of votes cast at tho
last election is 20 be the basis where there is no reg
stry In New York city Of which THE SuS is speaking.
districts must be divided by the last registration And
hnd nothing in the law requiring the consolidation
two districts containing less than 100 voters"
Our Oneida contemporary falls into the
error Of confusing the provision for ballots
section 1s) with the provision for district
boundaries section 29). The latter reads thus:
"In the city and county of New York the Board of
Police Commissioner and In tho city OF Brooklyn the
Board OF EIectonS shall provide such guard rails ballot
box and voting booths or compartments On or before
the FIRST day OF September in the year eighteen hun
drsd ninety in each thereafter tho officers
charged by law with tho division or alteration OF
election district shall alter divide the existing cleo
ton districts whenever necessary In such manner that
each election district shall contain than three
hundred voters"
We discern nothing in this about persons
registered at the previous election. The
Board of Police Is to be governed by the
vote cast, and by that only. There is. OF
course, no direct provision for the CONSOLE
dation of districts. Neither is there any,
thing to prevent their further subdivision;
but the Commissioners are presumed to be
faithful and intelligent. and it would be abb
| surd to presume that where the law estab-
fishes 800 rs the maximum vote at polling
solidate election districts having but 60 or
70 votes each. In one election district, the
TwCnty-ilfth Of the Second Assembly dis
trct, but So votes were cast last year. To
| erect for the accommodation of this small
number OF voters booths in plain view of
the election officers; one side in front to open
and shut as door, swinging outward; each
side of the booth to be six feet high, and
| the door to extend to within two feet f
the floor; each booth to be two feet square
| and to contain shelf which will have to DO
mt least one foot wide" would be absurd;
Seeing that but one such booth would be
needed there Not to consolidate such
district with an adjacent one would be TO
impose, unnecessarily and unlawiully, upon
the people Of tho city tho expense of five
inspectors, tho construction of boxes, rails,
and booth, the rent OF premises: in all
some $275, or So per voter. If the rcIormers
contemplate any such blOcks-uf-flve arrange
ment as this, they ought to declare it at
once. But it Is evident that they do not.
and that the law does not. Our Utica con-
temporary misunderstands its provisions.
The new electoral bill has its salutary
and meritorious features. II invades no
vital constitutional right and DISTINGUISHES
no qualified eector. But 1t contains "A num-
Der of bric-A-brao clauses which will harass
| and confuse the honest voter. whose time Is
valuable to him; and which, in the hands OF
designing and INSCRIPTIONS persons. will
be turned to the benefit OF the very machines
which the new law was Intended to demolish,
A political organization could render no
better service to the city just now than to
assume the task, which ought not in capable
hands to be hard one. Of explaining to the
| voters OF the city what changes In the