New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-25

One Of the leading Democratic newspapers
of the interior If this state, Tho Rochester
Union" comes ont squarcy not for the amend
mont but foI the repeal Of the Ballot-Retorm
law. II object, II it N two grounds. In the
Gist place. il holl, that il j. unconstitutional
+, provide thar citizen who has not registered
shall not hc permitted to vote. In the second
place il holds that tic law i So " complicated.
cumbersome AMI stupid ~ virtually 10 diSfran-
CHS. thousand, Of voters 70 sustain is first
point "Thc Union" quotes from tho Constitution
the provision that every male citizen possessed
e certain specified qualifications shall be en-
titled T. vote at election, for all officers that
now are ar hereafter may be elective by the
people" II is doubtful if any considerable
numicr of people will regard this point a> we'll
rallrn The Legislature clearly has right 10
surround the hallo, lax with such safeguards
"a, in the opinion Of the majority may be neceN-
.ary Experience has demo INST a.cd that Wcre
il not FIR the registration laws II would be-
practically impossible 10 secure anything APP
woaching n fair election in this state. Tho
Corst tation provide, tat " laws shall be made
Tor the pup. So Of a,ccrtainlng by proper proofs
tho citizens who shall hc entitled t. the right
of suffrage hereby established" and certainly
registration laws are in harmony with this pro-
vision aud with the entire section of the Con-
.iitution touching the qualifications and dis
qualifications Of voters The preamble Of the
Constitution reads ave, the people of tho
STATE Of Ncw-Yclk. grateful to Almighty God
for cur freedom in order to secure its bless
ings do establish this Constitution" The bless
ings # freedom are not secured in their full
e. 81 ,. L., ba
bal.t-box is kept pure The registration laws
help scnsibly to keep it pure. The Unions"
other point is If moro weight. The Ballot
law, as we recently pointed out, sorcly needs
simplifying. Bat what is necessary t. be done
can "a ,ily be done Give the voter a blanket
bqllof--a single ballot containing the nominees
Of all the pariicS-ani he will be satisfied with
the law-proyidod he believes in honest cleo
tons
We observe that some of the newspapers
over n Boston are claiming that the blanket
ball led to unsatisfactory voting in Mas,a-
cAisott, tWo weeks ago. 1.-THE Traveller" for
example states that "tho rccoant (of Che
Gubcrnatorial votc) taking the testimony of
many OF those who have made il. is likely to
show. could all the facts be known, that Nr.
Halle l'st h s election simply through the care
les moss Of Republican votels.' Assuming thai
this is So what does it 20 to prove? Why.
Simply that ono phase Of the campaign of edu-
cation was more skilfully conducted by the
Democrats OF Massachusetts, than by their OBJ
ponon.s Certainly there is nothing intro cate
about blanket ballot Another year. prolit.ng
bv t.c experience OF the last campa On the
Ecpuhlcans of Massachusetts, and Of Ncw-Yo
will doubles, give moIc attention 10 the pre-
llminary work of nS;ructing voters how 10
vote under the new system. An effort is being
industrously made i'll some quarters to provo
that this new system is in reality a diflicult
one The fact is that it is nothing of the sort
He must be Il phcnomcnaly ignorant or Il
phcnomcnally careless votcr VINO does net
master il in five minutes. That it is the best
system ever yet devised t. secure honest cleo
tons. 10 make it feasible for the poor man
10 run for Office 10 reduce b n minimum the
crime of yOte-buyng and the robbery of can
didatcs under cover Of assessmcnts-that il
generally admitted 1t is system therefore,
which, unless reform is to 90 backward must
not be abandoned. Let the law be amended
so as to make it rs simple as possible, without
sacrificing any of its essential features. The
task as has been sad is by no maans hard