Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-17
CAMPAIGN NEWS AND COMMENT.

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CAMPAIGN NEWS AND COMMENT.
'THERE is still another feature OF the At
torney Generals opinion on the Baker law
which will require further explanation, to
say the least, remarked county official
yesterday. "There is one phase of the
group question which seems to have es-
caped his attention. Mr.. Hensel decides
that when in counties like Philadelphia and
Allegheny nominations for the respective
Offices are made by separate conventions
each such nomination shall constitute q
district group. II, as has frequently hap
pened, any party names all its candidates
in one county convention, and the other
organization has delegate convention for
| each office, how shall we vote thenf VIII
the county candidates of the one party be
| punched as group and those Of the other
| divided into three or four so-called Rroupsf'
The point is not likely to affect Allegheny
county this fall, owing to the lack OF local
| contests, but 1t casts serious reflection
| upon the manner in which the ballot law
| decision was prepared. Judge stowe ana
| Coroner Mcdowell were both, renominated
4 by the same Republican convention ana
/, the Judge was fndorsed and Festus King
nominated for Coroner by one Democratic
| convention. This fact will prevent trouble
| upOl tHio puttiCuldT ltdtuIO III
| county this time, but i'll case of an extensive
| and hotly contested county struggle. 1t can
| readily be seen that Attorney General
| Hensel, or somebody else, will have to come
| to the front with supplementary OPINION.
| GENERAL REEDER, Chairman OF the
Republican State Committee, is quoted as
| saying: Attorney General Hensel's opinion
| on the form of the Baker ballot is perfectly
satisfactory to me. 1t is ali contended for,
and provides better method for the voter
| to make his choice known"
! THE ruling of the Attorney General has
created commotion throughout the State,
| which is finding voice through the columns
| of the press. A great number of both Re-
| publican and Democratic papers criti-
| else and condemn the opinion, and
! a few of each party sustain
| II. The Harrisburg Telegraph (Rep.) says
| that "the insistence by the Republican
! State Committee that the form of ticket pre-
pared by the Secretary of the Common
wealth is not compliance with the law,
| when it is regarded from partisan stand
point. is just about as smart as the indorse-
| ment of Nc Aleer in the Third district. Un-
| der the ticket prepared by Secretary Har
| rity all the Republicans and Democrats and
! Prohibtionists are grouped together, and
! the voter votes his whole party ticket by
making one mark. The committee insists
| upon form of ticket that will invite
scratching. If the Republicans were in the
| minority there might be some reason for
their insisting upon this separation but as
their ma jority makes it only necessary for
them to secure fair attendance at the polls
OF those who will vote straight tickets to
win, its Objection to Secretary Harrtty's
form of ticket, we may say again, is incom-
prehenSible."
THE Philadelphia Telegraph (Rer.)
thinks 10 ran6arad nv Mr.
Hensel, as to the marking of ballots, will it.
self create no end of confusion. 1t was the
plain intent OF the law to permit voters to
finish the whole business, polling straight
ticket, by single mark, at the top. opposite
the party name"
On the other hand the Public Ledger is
pleased with the decision, saying: 1T con-
forms with the apparent meaning of the
law, and will give independeot voters q fair
opportunity to express their wishes with
out top much labor. In the sample ballot
heretofore distributed one mark would
carry the whole party ticket, general, State
and local. But in the ballot form approved
by the Attorney General the candidates
will be grouped, the electors in one group,
State officers in another, and so on. A strict
party vote will require a cross mark at the
head of each group, while an independent
voter need mark each candidates name
only in that group or groups where he has
scratched" some one or more names from
his party ticket By the original form the
Independent voter would have been obliged
to make about 40 marks; by the new form
five or six mny suffice" Bnt the Ledger for
gets that the general principle is for the
greatest convenience for the greatest num-
ber and that overwhelming majority of
the voters desire to cast straight party
tickets.
UPON the blank space question the
Philadelphia InQuirer, Rep, says: "The
law says the blank spaces shall be
placed after each group The At
torney General says they may be punched
in a column Off on the right side OF the
ticket. Perhaps the Supreme Court would
sustain him. but why take the responsible
ity of not carrying out the letter Of the
law?'
THAT Chairman Reeder and Attorney
General Hensel went to a good deal of
trouble to make the voters task as hard as
possible is the verdict of the Butler Herald,
DEM, which sums up the matter thus: "The
construction paced by Attorney General
Hensel on the new election law. that a cross
must be placed at the head of every division
of ticket instead of at the head of the
ticket, seems to be a strained one. He is
certainly wrong in his construction of the
law. The effect of the opinion, il it stands
is to compel the voter to make several
crosses instead OF one if he wants to have
his vote counted on the whole ticket. It
will result in more confusion in voting and
contribute largely to the defective ballot
list. 1t reverses all the teachings OF the ap-
plication of the law thus far and sets at
naught all education of electors thus tar in
the canvass.
The Erie Times, Rep, after a careful
study of the subject, concludes that "the
tricks and turns OF the new blanket ballot
are past finding out. New discoveries are
being made every dav in relation to the law
and it still remains fertile field for more
discoveries"
AS showing the confusion created by the
Hensel decision it is interesting to note
that even the intelligent country editor has
not altogether fathomed it. The Blooms
burg Repu6lica. gravely informs its readers
that at will now be necessary to make q
cross opposite the head of each Office for the
candidate for whom you want to vote"
The Republican should hasten to correct this
impression among its constituency. A cross
mark is not required for each office, but for
each group" which may be composed of
one OR more offices. This year. according to
the Attorney General, the first group will
consist of the 50 Presidential electors, the
candidate for Supreme Judge ana the two
Congressman at Large. Then the District
Congressman Will constitute Il "group" all
by himself The number of the otheTgroups
to be voted will vary in different coun ties
according to the manner OF making nomina-
tions, the number and character of offices to
be filled this year. In no case will there be
less than three groups" and five will be
about the average number.