New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-10
WITH THE NEW BALLOT LAW
LIVELY VILLAGE ELECTION AT FAR
ROCEAWAl.

ROCKAWAl.
THE FIRST UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM
MANY VIOLATIONS OF THE STATrTE-LlTTLE
DISCIPLINE ENFORCED BY THE IN
spECroRs - WEAK POINTS AND
CHANCES FOR TRICKBR SHOWN.
The new State Election law adopted by the
LEGISLATURE of 1890 after years of public clamor
for ballot reform. had its first practical trial IN
+hc State at the local election in the village OF
Far Rockaway yesterday. 1t cannot be said thaU
,be test was a fair one. and the general diSsntis-
faction manifested by the village voters wnS due
more 10 the imperfect manner i'll which the law
was administered than 10 any m0tcIa! defects
In the general principles of the new system As a
matter of fact such defects as were seen serNeo
only the more TO emphasize the virtues oi 'he
new law under Il proper Application lha' 'lc
test was not fair was admitted hy all "ho VIII
r.sscd the applicarion Of the law at tie f0r
Rockaway election and many politicians OF New
York belonging to both political parties me"'
down to see how the new system worNeu' i""'
the confusion which prevailed from the ol"'"ii3
to the closing Of the polls. the qnarfc> an" DIVA
crnrs between the cc tion officers and the voters,
were all due to the inefcicacN and inconprtenrH
t tho e,ect;on officers was universally admitted.
There was no great Issue at stake IL the VII
lace contest and party lines were not factors I"
any degree The election was for village officers
,uJ 10 decide certain economic questions III the
administration Of the village affairs of the small
community. Two tickets were in The heid' bnl
the candidates on both were the same excepting
for three of the Offices. Ordinarily the election
would not have caused NOR" than a ripple "
excitement, the greatest question at issue '@h-
whether sum of money should 'c expended
for improvements in the centre OF the village
where most of the voters live or on the outskirts.
where there are fine residence Of many wealthy
city people who SPEND their summers within SOUND
Of the surf As i; was. ,.c usually luict
VILLAGE was excited as il had never been before.
and groups of men stood all day about the polling
MACE on the hotel pia2zas and in the open BAR
rooms talking earnestly and eNcit%!ly ahont
the confusion caused hy the new law
Most of the villages have their local elections IN
March. but the charter of Far Rockaway PROVIDES
for an election on the second Tuesday III Scp'em-
her. thus giving it the honor of being the pi'ce
where the new law should have its trial. bo'h
tbe village and the law were unfortunate undcr
the circumstance.
THE VILLAGE off: 'E2S WlHE THE lNSlf"IohS'
Under the charter the village officers are con-
k,ituted a Board Of Inspectors Of Eecl"h ana
in tins fact lies the first defect IN the applca'!"h
Of tie now law, especially with reieIrhc" 10
village c'ccti0ns. The village officers are PROB
ah.v honest men, but snould they happen 10
tc candidates for reelection wlac acting as IN
spcctors of election there is nothing III the ""IHi
easier than for them to manipulate the hali"'S
to suit themselves should they prefer n dis
Iaf.a Ln
acting as inspectors of election yesterday were
candidates for reelection village officers. No
NO would charge that they did not perform
,,e;r dotlps as honorable men. hut IL was en-
ceedinclv plain that they could have been di'
Loncs, without fear Of detection had they wished
70 lie
The polling place the village hall. On
one SIDE of the room were SIX booths maze o'
pl,in pinc boards. each apartment beng 'hrce
anu a half feet square ana SIN l'et hl-"' "a
d,nT 70 which was affixed strong steel sprng.
SWING outward from each booth, anh ci"Scd
,ightly wren a voter had entered. lhs'oe oI
each booth shelf, on which, as 'he III"
70 ,pired. were place! a bottle of ink. bottle
of mucilacc. pen. pencil. ana pio''cI' VII
the opposite side of tie room was long table
ON which were placed the ballot-boNes, nre III
number One was for the tickets containing tn"
rauc, of candidates for which the voter
wished TO cast his ballot, another for the
sinh, torn tlc,eirom a third for the boiy OF
invalid tickets. fourth for their stubs, ana the
fifth for tie res s,lutionS voted upon In the 1rol'
Of ,'c room railing to prevent a cro~d
from approachi,l. thc hallOt boxes. While another
railing in ;he rear lnccs"d space for u" |cconi-
mo,iation Of L score two Of reportcrs lhc polls
we,N opeLcd at / p. H., and closed at sunset
Long ietore the opening hour the polling place
was crow,ed, as was the street In front. Inc
ins,ectors of election went into the hall AT
o'clock and took their position behind the ballot-
boxes. having previously organized by e.ecting
\ y Day a village trustee, and Il candidate for
reelection president of the Board. +. j. Hcaley.
resident Of the VILLAGE corporation and candl-
date for reelection. declined Ia serve as an IN
sne,tor. believing that il wrs not legal for him
10 do so, bu, the Other officers were not 50
scruuulons Tic other Inspectors were r. L.
Richmond, the ballot clerk, who Is village
trustee; J. Joseph Mott, the clcri; of the village.
%..o acted as poll clerk and Is. B. Nott another
trustee TLesc ohlcers opened the polls al | :l3
D. H., having failed 10 - through the formaii'y
of taking the oath OF Office required of inspectors
Of election
A QUARREL At TIiE START
A serious dispute arose at the brginning. caused
by demand maGe by Benjamin Smith and en-
ASemblyman William d. Hines 1haJ lli'y bc
sllowed to stand within the railing near the
ballot-hoAes and act as Watchers Both are Dem
ocra's, and both contcndcd that under Section %
of ~ new law they were entitled to act in that
capacity. The section referred u reads fol-
lows: No person other than the election Of
fcers and the watchers provided by law and those
admitted for the pnrp':c of voting as hereinafter
provided shall be permitted within said rail, c\ccp,
by authority of tlc election officers etc Smith
and Hines maintained that under this provision
they were entitled 10 act watchers inside of
tie rail They faile1 however, to explain in
what manntT they had qualified Watchers
and the inspectors excluded them. Mr. Smith
became exccdiigly angry. and proceeded to de-
liver speech TO the crowd, den"'ncine the in-
C,ectors and the law well. He leaped within