New-York tribune., 1892-01-13
BALLOT REFORM MEASURES.
SEVERAL PREPARED BY Mr. SAXTON
THKIR PROVISIONS AND PURPOSE EXPLAINED
BY THEIR AUrHOR-INTRoDCCED
IN TIE SENATE.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO The TUBUsE.'

BY THEIR AUTHoR-INTRoDUCED
IN THE SENATE.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TUBUsE..
| Albany, Jan l2.-senator Saxton, Of clyde The IN
troiucer In the Legislature Of the Ballot Reform law
| passed I'm 1880 arrived here this evening ana was
| sworn In as Senator He unable TO be present
| last week when the Legislature met OWING 10 th'
| Illness Of his wife. Mr. S;iXton some time ago an
nounced that he would present amendments to the
| Ballot law: but he Informed The Tribune coTespoh
| dent to night that he had given up this plan owing
| to the fact that the Municipal League OF w-forh
was busy preparing amendments u the law. when
amendments he thought would be- satisfactory. Tn
less the Ballot law can be amended So as To preVch'
Ach q disfanc hi>cmen OF voters has taken place
| I'm Onondaea County under the decisions Of the court
| II ippeas7 said Mr.. saNton. earnestly. 81 shall De
| In favor Of going back to the old plan Of voting
Why under the Court Of Appeals decision IT Is put III
! the u, wrr OF any county clerk disirnnchi.e the
voters N a county. That the people will not stand
| But believe the law be amended a. to giVc
us pure elections. and that IS our aim
Mr. SaXton. however has prepared some anend-
mouts to the Corrupt Practices Act second bill ,ar
| plying flc Primary Election Act To towns and vii
agc, II third bill declaring that the state Board oi
| Canva.,crs must meet upon certain day; and 4
fourth giving the supreme Cour the right 10 correct
| errors of County Canyasscrs. All these bills he pre-
-cnted to tho senate tonight In the statement gwen
by him below he tolls object Of all these measures
| and their provisions. Mr.. Saxton said
II We aro to strike a blow at the corrupt
use of money In politics must do ilrce things ::
| Enact a law which will give secret ballot; get a
thorough and stringent Corrupt Practices act on the
,tatntc books and cleanse primaries which are
the source OF political power and the starting point o
| political corruption. We have Ballot law which
need, a great deal Of amendment before 1t will ac-
| comp,i,h what il intended 10 accomplish. Its
weak points are: ~ The provision for separate party
ballots which not only multpcs The chance for mis-
take on the part both Of public officers and voters.
but prevents the most favorable conditions for tricks
and schemes by which kind Of ballot may be dis
tlngu shed from Others. 2j the pister ballot. which,
besides furnishing precisely the excuse the old
unofficial ballot for making large assessments upon
candidates, and employing gangs Of poworhers, Is
the main instrument for preparing the ballots Of b1bel
voter so that they may De- Identified subsequently:
and ~ the physical disability provision, which is
invoked in nine cases Of ten merely as IN excuse
for timing poll worker into the booth to fix up the
ballot he has bought.
MY conclusion Is that bill to amend the Ballot
law ought 10 have these defects In view and aim Ia
remedy them. | think the law also ought to be
amended In such n way that 10 Will never again no
possible 70 make any OF its provisions ground for
d ana nchisng voters by wholesale. have not PR
par-d a BILL as yet. because | have been waiting to
-ee II all parties coud not agree upon the bill "hch
committee u the Peoples Municipal League are en-
gag~ upon The h,l prepared by that committee as
It now stands. Judging by the last copy sent me- l.
based upon the .ba Ike; ballot bills which introduced
during the la.t two session, Of the LEGISLATURE III
though II differs from them In number of details.
II viii strsnghcn some but not all Of the weak
points In the present law.
The blanket ballot with names Of clnddateS
printed in party columns headed by party devices Is
lts most important feature. No 'pa-tcr' biiot can
he used but blank official pa,ter which
Il voter is entitled 10 receive from an election
officer upon making oath that he cannot read or write
the Engl sh language and wishes to vote for som" one
whose name +, upon the official ballot. The voter.
on receiving the blank official pa-tcr. can take
person Of his selection into the ilhteiaeV0ter
booth who will prepare the past'r by wiring upon
It the title Of the Office and the name Of the person
for whom the voter wants his ballot counted; but NJ
single psser can contain the name Of more than one
candidate There IS no attempt made TO modify the
physical disability provision. Tn" bill does not 20
very far in removing the difficulties We now labor
under but II Is very essential that wo should have
the blanket ballot In some form.
IL have no opinion To what course the LcSiS
ature will tlke upon this subject, but am in favor
of improving the law just ~ much aS We can ana II
We can't ct everything at once. lei MS take what we
ran pet now and trust t. the future for further I'm
provemcnts | have prepared amendments to
the Corrupt Practices act which ar Of radical and
comprehensive noture. We may not be ready Tor
them vet. but sooner or later something Of the kind
must he done. or the malgn influence of the money
power npon our political life VIII continue to inceasc
and become more and more II menace to our hstu
t0ns.
"The act OF two years ago. which prepared,
was tbc first effort at a genuine Corrupt Practices act
that had been made this country That act although
urong In some respects Is very weak In others.
Th. amendments I have prepared would enlarge and
strengthened 1t In several WAYS: % The sections which
make Il unlawful to buy or sell Eo'c' vi Nh'n'udte
vo,ers are extended 80 rs to embrace registration
and also voting at primary elections cancuses ana
conventions: (2l there are two addtohal sections
am. 80 them limiting the amounts which candidates
g.. ,h y,rious offices can cXpend or contribute for
c,r,,, nurnoscs and prohibiting candidates for
judicial offices from paying any political assessments
,,oror and the other defining legitimate campaign
o.n,.os and r.tng il unlawful for candidate or
,h norson TO nay or contribute money for any other
orn,,c, purposc than those specified % still an
,, c,ion i added providing that every political
cnr,i,tee club or other organization shall elect
,,oosurcr who shall keep accurate account, ana 10
,n, an monevs received by any member shall
- roor,.d and who shall publish after election
,.,,, .,a,om.nt under oath. OF all moneys re |
,a, ,,r a,v source and expended for any purpose |
hv .ch committee club or organization. Thec arc
other amendments but those ] have indicated aio
H. or,, ones of great Importance.
:. A, nr.a~nt rherc e. no law regulating ho |
,,.nnsr Of holding primary elections, Except III