The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-07
How to Vote the Straight Ticket.

The reported advice OF Mr.. CLEVELAND tc
tho Hon. PATRICK LYONS Of Buffalo to &C
homo and vote the straight Democratic
ticket from MAYNARD down. is a timely bit
OF political sure-cure for that tired feeling
which idleness imposes upon the good citi.
zen on election day. For 1t must be under.
stood that to vote the straight Democratic
ticket or any other ticket. straight. forked
blank or irregular Is. under the conditions
OF the existing ballot law. no easy task.
To comply with the alleged suggestion OF
Mr.. CLEVELAND. this is what Mr.. LYONS
will have to do. and what. substantially.
one million other sovereign electors in New
York State must do. in order to have their
political preferences correc tly recorded at
the sinking Of the shadows behind the hills
and housetops to-day. Tuesday. Nov7.
Mr.. LYONS. il properly registered. must
enter within the guard rail of the polling
place in the election district in which he
lives. providing there are not at the time OF
his appearance more than twice as many
persons within the guard rail as there
are stalls or retiring booths within the
polling place. II there Is such excess OF
intending electors. Mr. Lyons. In compli-
ance with section 1903 OF the law. must
cool his heels on the outside and beguile
the tedium Of delay by reading over the
MCKINLEY tariff bill, which tho Democrats
intend to repeal, and by perusing Mr..
CLEvELAND's declarations in support Of q
strictly constitutional tariff.
A vacancy appearing in the crowd within
the guard rail by this time. Mr.. LYONS may
enter and proclaim in answer to the ques-
tions propounded. his name and address.
the street number of the house in which he
resides. the floor he inhabits. and the fact
that he is over the age Of 81 Having been
well and truly sworn to fidelity to the Con-
stitution and the laws. he will receive. I'M
folded. from one OF the ballot clerks. a se-
ries Of sets OF tickets to the number Of six I:
a Democratic official ticket. Republican
official ballot. a Prohibtionist Official ballot.
a Socialist official ballot. Populist official
ballot. and an independent or miscellane-
GUS official ballot. consisting chiefly Of
blank spaces under the titles of the various
offices to be filled.
Thus equipped. Mr.. LYONS will retire to q
vacant stall or booth. provided there Is one
available. II not. he must wait in patience
till there Is. Once within the booth. Mr..
LYONS will consecrate his efforts to the i'm
portant task of carefully folding each OF the
tickets he does not wish to vote. first cross
wise. by bringing the bottom of each ballot
to the perforated line. and then in the middle
Iengthwise. in such manner that. when
folded, the face OF each ballot shall be con-
cealed. and the printed number on the stub
and the endorsement on the back OF the
ballot shall be visible. SO that the stub can
be removed without removing any other
part OF the ballot. and without exposing any
part Of the face of the ballot below the stub"
This delicate and useless operation will
consume some time. but It will not affect
his choice. which will be registered by affix-
ing to the Democratic official ticket q
straight Democratic paster. to make sure
there is no error. This ticket. with the