The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-11
BALLOT REFORM.

The Assembly passed the Senate Ballot
Reform Bill with an amendment, which is
calculated TO neutralize its provisions. The
Senate bill provided that per cent of the
voters in any district or political division
should have the power to nominate outside
of the conventions, and that in any case 1000
voters could nominate. The Assembly
changed this to per cent, and it is said that
it struck out the provision empowering a
thousand voters to nominate. These amend
ments should not receive the assent of the
Senate. They were designed to defeat the
bill by indireetion. 1t would be impossible
to get . per cent OF the voters-say 1900 or
1900 citizens-tO sign position for the nomi-
nation of 4 Governor outside of the conven-
tions, and the latter would still be dominant.
The Senate should adhere to its bill.
Meanwhile it may be well to look into the
main features of the bill as passed 1t is
quite long bill, embracing thirty-thrse sec
lions, but the essential points are covered by
two out of the thirty-three The first of
these ensures more completely than the
present law the secrecy of the ballot. The
voter, on entering the voting place, and es-
tablishng his right to vote, shall receive
from a clerk general ticket, and, where
municipal election is to take place, munich
pal ticket likewise. With these he shall re-
tire to an inclosed apartment, and shall mark
with cross with stamp provided in the
compartment the names of the persons for
whom he proposes to vote. If he intends to
vote straight ticket, he shall make his cross
opposite the political designation of that
party, and shall then be deemed to have
voted Tor all its candidates. Ii lie proposes TO
scratch his ticket, he shall do so by affiXing
thecross only to the names Of the candidates
for whom he desires to vote. He shall then
fold the ballot and hand it to the inspector,
who shall record the fact that he has voted,
and shall place the ballot in the urn. Some
trivial notifications are introduced in the
manner of counting and canvassing thevote,
but they are not material. Z The essential
point in this change in the law is the in
creased secrecy which it throws round the
exercise Of the franchise
The other change provides for nomina-
tions by individual citizens outside of party
conventions. Any candidate may be nomi-
mated for Office by individuals numbering a
certain percentage of the entire voting pop
ulation Of the district at the last election.
The original bill put the percentage at 3
per cent. but this was altered in order to de-
feat the operation OF tie bill to by an
amendment introduced by Dbble. 1t was
provided in the original bill that. in any
event, 1000 citizens may nominate. 1t seems
uncertain whether this was not struck out
in the house. When citizens have nomi-
mated they shall draw up a certificate of
nomination, which shall be fled with the
Secretary OF State, the Clerk of the munich
patty, or the County Clerk, according to the
Office for which the nomination is made
The filing must be done at least one month
before the election, which seems too long
period. When it has been done it shall be
the d uty of the officer in charge to print thu
name OF the candidate SO nominated on the
ballot side by side with those OF the aomi-
nees Of the party conventions, to the end
that he shall have an equal chance with
them before the voters.
The effect of This reform in the law would
be, if the provision of the Senate bill is ad-
hered TO. to take away from the party
bosses the power they now enjoy to confer
public Office upon their creatures. At pres
ent no aspirant for office can hope to attain
it unless he secures a nomination by the
convention of his party, and the conventions
81,
bosses. Thus the party boss, for the time
being, controls all lie election patronage
of the State and city. aud citizens at large
are helpless to struggle against him. Under
the new law--if the power of nominating is
conferred. as it was by the Senate bill. on
5 per cent of the voting population, or 1000
ctizens-a bad nomination by a convention
would be followed by action by the people.
The requisite number would meet, agree
upon one who is fit. nominate him and run
him on an equal footing with the regular
nominees. They may nominate whole
ticket ii they please. If they choose wisely
and are guided by considerations of personal
fitness rather than party service, their men
will enter the field with an obvious ad-
vantage over the convention candidates.
People are only too anxious to discover
way Of emancipating themselves from the
thralldom of the political old men of the sea
who have chung round their necks.
Indeed, the effect of this reform may be
not only 10 destroy the value Of nominations
by party conventions, but actually to make
them an injury instead Of benefit. Time
and again conventions have insulted the
people by putting in nomination candidates
who were unworthy, but till now there
never has been an effective way of defeat
ing such candidates except by a surrender
OF party allegiance. Under the new law the
citizen holds power Of review over the
convention Of his party, and when it goes
wrong he can correct its wrongs without
going over to the enemy. But the bill
should be passed in the shape in which it
came fran the Senate