New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-21
FOR BALLOT REFORM.
CIRCULAR FROM THE PEOPLES MUNIC-
IPAL LEAGUE
OBJECTIONS OF THE ORGANIZATION TO SOME
FEATURES OF THE PRESENT ELECTION LAW

Tho Committee on Electoral Reform Of the Peoples
Municjpa1 League has issued circular, showing where
in from its point of view, the existing Ballot law Ill
this State is sronc The main complaint OF the League
,s over the amendments which were made TO inc il"
during the last session of the Legislature The League
ends fault first with the provision that the names OF
all NJ the candidates arc not placed one ballot vi
this section the committee says:
The rresent law provides as follows There shall be
as many separate kinds ballots there are dne'
political parties represented by certlcstes as prou
section Of this act referring to the nominations nu
NV the conventions OF regular political parues anu
there are different political or other nominations
by certificates provided by Section 5oithis act
IN independent nominations" In other words OIL eSN'
ballot TO he printed and distributed at public expense tner
can snnear only the name OF candidate for each ONCE
M more AS number Of candidates for each once arc
submitted for the consideration OF the people at every eec
ton the result the voter Is obliged 70 chooso ~
a large number OF ballots the one he prefers
Our ballot system as 1t now stands Is muitine ",O
syste confusing TO the unjust and unfair 70 ue
candidates and unnecessarily expensive
The next point which the committee attacks Is Hle
paserbaot. on this point the committee says
Tho Ballot Reform law now on the statute DOCK was
framed with intention Of avoiding the numerous eA
pendituc, OF money attending the printing and Distribution
OF the ballots by private parties This great expense ~
the organization Of the very complex machinery hecesy
for the manipulation and distribution OF the tcKets anu
the supervision OF this work practically excudeo inu
pendent movements for REFORM
All this it intended IN remove and remedy Oy III.
new law but under the provision permitting INC uS'
''pastr ballots, the expenditure for the pruning anu
distribution OF these 'paster ballots continues 'ut
much OF an evil and there really exclusive ohc'i
ballot for the privilege is extended TO any party 10 pco
complete unofficial ballot with which their voters van We
provided by their armies Of party workers coupieu VII"
instructions for its use. The permitting this course
all Of the political parties have adopted IT, claiming thae
the average voter cannot readily choose the Official oao1
printed for his party the large number OF omciai
ballots thrust upon him the polling place
Hence the intention OF the act, so far rs IL contemplate
the abolition NJ the preeyt upon which enormous assess
have been levied upon candidates, has peeh rc'
wholly nugatory, and any corrupt machhe may %il ecu
nominations large funds for bribery anu o'icf
lecitimate purposes alleging that such fuds are recess
sary for the printing and distribution OF paster ballots
And the necessity Of distributing such pastors may SUI
be given excuse for the employment Oh Iner'''c'
and the virtual purchase OF their votes upon election DAY
The opportunities bribery, tricks ana frauds anu
tho formations for trades and deals between candidates
and uarties offered by this paster" ballot system are
nnumerable OF the thirty States that have so far
adopted Ballot Reform laws NewYork Is the only one haO
has the Objectionable 'paster' ballot
Then the nomination OF independent Candidates anu
the amendments made during the last session TO the
section controlling this taken up The committee
has this to say on the amendments
BY the amendments added 30 Ballot Reform Law last
winter the Independents practically precuded from
placing their candidates before the voters except through
the medium OF unofficial paster " ballots.
Under the provisions Of the BALLOT Reform Law the nom
nations Of the regular political parties are made by con-
venton those the Independents by certificate signed
b. specified number Of voters AS the voter can cast Dut
one ballot under law which ballot must contain inc
names Of all the candidates for whom he wishes TO vote thS
one ballot must be complete, t. e., 1t must appear
candidate for every ONCE to he voted for Otherwise inc
ballot would contain blanks and be an imperect and hco
plete ballot As tho Independents in position
to nominate complete ticket with candidates for every
cnce 70 be filled at acknowledging in this regard fror
the regular parties whose tickets contain candidates or
every Office be filed at electOnhc law provides thas
committee may be designated by the Independents Tor the
urpose Of adding OF candidates by whomsoeNcr
nominated for the other occs be filled by the election
The Independents thus permitted under the original
law TO complete ard an the blanks in their ticket by
adding the Of candidates by whomsoever nominated
for the other Offices to be filed by the election
One OF the amendments adopted last winter, however,
authorizes candidate OF regular political party to forbid
the placing his upon the ticket put in nomination
by independent citizens, when such candidate OF INC
regular political party shall have given notice az least
fifteen d1vs before election 10 the officer with whom the
original certificates OF nomination were filed The inde-
perdent citizens committee cannot therefore, know until
the day before election whether the names OF any
candidate for office Of regular political party can be
placed upon the Independent ballot They must select
their names Offices however fifteen days before
election and for other twelve days before election
position therefore, is one OF extreme dmcuy uhuef
this amendment to say the least.
A third amendment finally reduces the Independents
nomination to a nockery and deusion. 1t limits the
ndep,nd b1llOt As the only choice under
this left the independent voter Is either TO
place an incomplete and imperfect ballot in the field COM
posed his candidates FOR the particular Offices for which
he proposes pendent candidates and containing blanks
for Offices tie his fortunes entirely 10 one
Of the two political PARTIES his only refuge can be the
unofficial 'Iasel'' ballot 10 be provided at the expense
Of the independent and TO be distributed by their
own paid workers distance not less than $50 feet
from each pollinG-Wo$c
One Of the main objects the Ballot Reform Act was TO
permit the making nominations by Independent citizens
when the candidates nominated by the regular parties
conspicuously unfit. for this others
that Independent nominations permitted to be made
later the regular party nominations But the pro-
visions under consideration render this pur
pose unavang the Independents being compelled to
print 'psster her official ballot being incomplete
cannot brief period intervening between their non
and the day of elecon-a period 1t may be- OF but
fifteen dayscreate machine and train an army OF men
properlv 10 distribute their "paster" ballots.
In conclusion the committee, for the Peoples Mu-
ncpal League, argues mIavor Of the blanket ballot
OF this ballot the committee says:
The annexed sample illust form OF ballot that
accods with the tue principles Of ballot reform. The
voter on entering the polling place receives ballot
and one ballot only which appear the Of all
the candidates for all offices be ned that
election. the political party to which they belong IS
designated and the most iteate voter who cannot tell
one printed from another easily distinguish the
maIk printed by the side Of The party designation
os illustrated In the sample ballot. This symbol be
determined upon by each patty and independent nominating
body. Those shown the sample ballot simply
adopted as illustrations. 1t is impossible for
II he read TO mistake these symbols The voter Is
not perplcxed by examining a dozen ballots he his
eye down the column OF candidates the "bl0nket'
ballot picks his choice glance and marks
in the square opposite his candidates No "plst"
ballots permitted they not necessary If the
voter desires insert the OF candidate does
not appear the ballot he write his the
blank line left for that purpose.
The sample ballots described in the circular have
symbols designating each party. The symbol for %
Democratic candidate Is made the American eagle: that
of a Republican candidate Is star. The Labor cand-
date has the upllfted ARM while the Prohibition mark
is an empty water-glass
THEY FAVOR POSTMASTER VAN COLT.
Among the organizations in this city which have in
dorsed Postmaster Cornelius Van Cot for the Republl-
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