New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-19
THE B1LLOT REFORM Law.

Tho late election like all inc clecilone wiz"
havc prcceded it since the new Ballot-helo'"'
law went into effect, has emphasized the iao'
tb;s this State badly needs blanket pailo''
,rho noonlc will never be satisfied until they
ret il. Hence if the Democrats who VIII con-
troll the next Legislature are slgaclouS, NV
will amend the law 50 as to PROVIDE lo' ''
There is no politics in the demand when CONES
M from all sections Of the State for the Dlii'N''
ballot The masses whatever their p0ll'icS' Do
tbov Rcpublicans. Democrats, ProhlbltionlStS OF
porulists Justly feel that the exercise OF 'hc
RIGHT of suffrage ought 10 be unattended d! III!
features which tho maintenance OF the riSh'
in if, integrity does not demand. Consequent
" whatever tends T. simplify the act OF voting
is 10 he Welcomed provided IT does not remove
the safeguards which ought TO surround inc
ballot box The blanket ballot would be a lohe
stcp in this direction. II would render VOTING
cascr than it now is il would materially dc-
crease the expense of printing ballots II Wouiu
bear hard on nobody except the briDc-S'|'r
and the bribc-tallcr. We are glad TO see thar
81 intelligent and influential a Democratic news
manor rs 1.-The l'tica Observer" has come on
in favor Of the blanket ballot. This Is what II
says:
Nothing Is more apparent after the experience
Of Tc.day than the necessity oil al
arncrdmcut TO She present bail l'"'
.nb.tituting tie blanket ballot for the separate
party ballots. Every one who went TO the p'''
ruc~dny had ten or moir ballots fold In th" propr
wav. and an error IN folding prevented voting "n'h
tho error was r,rtincI. With many ballots 1t be-
came v"iy easy pick mp different holloi from IN"
ono Intended 10 De voted and mind Il 10 thc inspectors
The hnndinc oi So ballots cau7'd delay ana not
A little cmbarras ,wont. Hundreds were d"uO'Ic0'
kept away from tho polls because IL was feared th'
huncllng with the ballots would bhng Hdicul" upon
th,m. The way 10 oh,iatc oil this Is TO adopt n
blanket ballot nmcnimcni Have Inc h'ih's VI al
parties printed oh IN" Ticket.
II will be- remembered that an earnest effort
was made Il, obtain 4 blanket ballot from the
last LEGISLATURE \ carefully drafted bill, IN
which the reform was embodied. was taken -
Albany. and IFS adoption vI' urged b> num-
Der of prominent members of both the great
political parties, But the measure, for reasons
best known = the leaders was suffered 20 de
i'm committee. In case senator Hill continues
To bc influential at the state capital. 1t IS per
haps useless T. hope that blanket ballot VIII
be forthcoming in 1898. For IN his message
to the Legislature in 1890 he made an argu-
mcnt-not Is convincing a II might nav" b'ch
10 show that blanket ballot was unconS'itu-
tioral. HI, poin, w;s> that since 'he Con>titu-
ton. in effect. SAYS that the bale shall con
tain the names Of the persons Fl whom the
clcctor intends 10 vote" by necessary implic1-
tion il also says that the ballot shall contain
no other n1mc.. II is t. be- added that law
vcrS of the iiisi rank expressed tho opinion that
the Blanket Ballot bill of last winter was not III
conflict with the Constitution.
There j. another amendment Of loss IN m'nt
which ought 10 be made There is no sense
in the provision which makes il incumbent
mon an olcctor 10 fold the ballots which h.
proposes TO discard. II the clcctor WAS required
simply 70 return all such ballots uniOldcd,
face downward he would be saved trouble
at some elections a good deal of trouble-and no
harm would be done 10 the right of suffrage.
II The Legislature of 1898 desires T. diStn-
guish it>ef-to earn the general gratitude by
doing n good piece Of non partisan work-it
will amend the Ballot law in the particulars
mcntionpl