New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-24
SIGNATURE OR VEIOY

STGNATURE OR VETOF
The people are anxously waiting TO see "ha'
Governor Hill is going TO do with the HaXton
Ballot Reform bill 1t is profoundly to be re-
cretted that there should be any doubt on TINS
no;nt The Executive head of the state has
before him a non partisan measure whose ell
foot If il became law. would he to cure the
most serious of the evils which our electoral
system has developed; nevertheless, the gen
eral expectation is that he Will use MS veto
mower to destroy it. Truly an emphatic com
mentary upon the popular distrust when ms
public official has inspired
On what ground can the bill be vetoed
Certainty on no tcnablc one. The Governor
NAV manufacture a lame excuse, but he Will be
unable TO discover good reason for withhoiu-
ing his signature. In support OF TINS propo-
sition we submit these considerations
l. The bill is not an experiment, measures
corresponding 10 it having worked well whcr-
over they have been put in operation In MS
recent message TO the Ohio Legislature toy
crnor Campbell called attention to the fact that
:" the system of ballot reform commonly called
the Australian system has been successfully
adoptcd in varying forms by S3,Ooo.ooo
neoplc. II has been tried five years in Nor
wav. seven in England and Italy, twelve in
Belgium. fourteen in Canada, and thirty IN AUS
,ra}ia. 1t has been adopted, with sundly modi-
fcationS, in Massachusetts. Rhode Island In
diana. Wisconsin. Mississippi, Tennessee MIS-
souri,. Montana. Michigan, Connecticut and part
of Kentucky. One of the most thorough TRIALS
Of the system was at the recent election III
Massachusetts,
. There is no politics in the bill. IFS pro-
visions are all of a general nature, applying
equally to voters of all parties. II was IN
deed introduced by a Republican, but hallot-r"-
form as it is secured in the SaXton bill Is de-
mandod by Democrats well a by Repuhh-
cans. Grover Cleveland. Charles :. Fairchlld,
William F. Russell, the Democratic candidate
for Governor of Massachusetts in the last cam
paign: Denis O'Brien, who was placed on the
bench of the Court Of Appeals hy Democratic
votes: Josiah Quincy. of Boston; Governor
Campbell. of Ohio-al are on tie list OF Demo-
Gratis who favor ballot-reform of the SaXton
pattern.
3. The hill has behind il an overwhelming
public sentiment. While il was pending IN the
Assembly petition for its passage reached that
body signed by over 10000 citizens OF New
York. No weighticr appeal was ever sent to
the Legisaturc The measure has also been
jndorscd at mass meetings held in our leading
cities by the prominent associations and clubs
of both parties and by the nitcd knights OF
Labor and other organizations of worklngmcn-
II is 10 be added that n movement OF con>e-
aucncc has been organized against the meas
urc. 50 far as we are aware no anii-HlNion
! hill meeting has been held in the metropolis on
in any other place in the state. lave any
petitions in opposition to halloi-rcfoIm been
presented in the Senate or the Assembly? II 81
| they have not been significant enough 10 At
tract attention. The fact that most OF tho
members of the minority in the Legislature
voted against the bill is largely rcicrahlc 70 tho
malign influence Of the Democratic machine oi
which Hill is the boss: and If is worthless IN
comparison with the related fact that the people
10 whom these representatives, are accountable
have plainly shown that they greatly desire t'
see it become law
These are wcighty considerations we sub
init that they ought 10 be controlling Sinc'
nothing can be urged 10 break their force ~
revising the bill this year lis friends carefully
considered all the points made against it by the
Governor in his messages and his vctocS. Many
of his suggestions were acted upon, the am
being. without surrcndcling anything vital, t'
send the measure to him this year i'll a shape
which would command his approval Are th'
concessions all 10 be on one side? Suppose The
bill does not quite commend itself to the Gov
ernor? viii his sense of public duty allow hin
| IN kill it2