New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-01
FOR COMPULSORY VOTING.
TT 1s PROPOSED THAT VOTERS BE MADE
TO GO TO THE POLLS.

Frederick W. Hollis, one Of the Republican u.e
gntcs-at large held the attention OF the No"'''u
tional Convention to-day. Mr. Hois some ''''e aeo
Induced the suffrage Committee 10 report ia'o'ao'
the following proposed amendment 10 the No"''''N
tion: ,..,. 4,
Section A. of Article H. OF the Constitution Is
hereby amended SO as to read follows: -
Lays hal be mad bd 50f shall be Emitted 10
right of suffrage hereby established; Inc ntItIed
lature may make laws relarns aGbshcS 70 exer-
10 the right or suffrage he'eoS
else such right u,
Mr. Hollis delivered an hour and a halfs speech IN
favor CT this amendment. Despite the length Oh Ms
sosech he held the attention Of the Convention oy
the many Interesting facts ne gave concerning the
voting statistics OF the State and by the ANNA
,ion of his delivery He pointed out from the sta
t,stics Of elections the remarkable decrease In the
total number Of votes cast In "oh-year e'ecuohS
rs compared with that OF a year wnen freSlu'".
or Governor is elected. showing that thousands OF
voters abstalned from voting. Inc woe toi "o'
arnor IN this STATE in 1891 10000 less than that
g., PRECEDENT the wear following; and the total vote
for prsslen; in 1892 (some 1896 GOD was FOVo less
than the number Of men Of voting age IN the o'a'e'
Including aliens. =,
Mr. Hollis argt ed that the most intelligent order
~ voters abstaned from voting in the OF year9
when county or city officers were to be elected ana
that thus great damage was done TO the 9'a'o'
He thought that Governor IIill was right "heh ne
suggested in three annual messages that the Leg
slature should be authorized TO dlstranchlSe LOT
certain period such voters as dd not Vo'e III I'VE
wears Such an act would force to the pois mdnS
voters who now were paid to stay at home. 1T
would also bring TO the polls the lnteihseh' WV
crs who would not Ike to be dsfranchised Mr'
Itolls said that the great expense of elections now
was due 10 efforts to get out the wore ms was
an Indirect form Of bribery. and II was the com
mon method OF bribery in this state IL auueu
enormously TO the expenses of every candidate II
all classes OF voters were compelled 10 vote eiec-
tions would not be so close and bribery would De
decreased
David Mcclure OF New-York Democrat. op-
posed Mr. HOLES amendment, declaring that IL
was an Improbable scheme.
who IS TO decide upon excuses which VIII DE
offered for absences" said Mr. Mcclure lor
surely there will be excuses? Take the case OF
voter who has been absent from the United states
for 1--WE years or the who has been III for five
years. Who is going to analyze these excuses
VIII YOU connde that duty TO ignorant election IN
spec,ors9 The people OF this state have not asked
for such a law. They are independent In their
political thinking. This State seemed securely
Democratic but last year the people elected the
Republican State ticket and Republican Legis-
laturc."
Here Mr. Mcclure paused FOR a second and then
continued IN a sad tone OF voce. And no" there
ms 70 b. a possibility 81 the election 81 hepuo-
lC1n Governor"
Tho Republican delegates burst out into roar
OF applause ct this statement. "Ord'r. order gen
tlenien." sad Thomas q Avorl. VINO was acting as
president
Il said possibility OF the election of Republican
Governor" said Mr. Mcclure. Il did not say prob
ability IT, however. the word possibility has
brought a gleani u pleasure upon the faces OF my
Republican brethren. who are ordinarily o., "a
gloomy courieudnce when tnry Surv'y ,ne POM
cal condition OF this State. | am not sorry that
TN-iulge Nelson Smith. u New-York argued in
. A. f4tte Ia IN.
largely measure ot defence lie was opposed 70
JOHN Blscio~ moved that tho Committee OF the
Whole rise and r.port The measure adversely
men II va Sdre~sc hrsi to the Ansioraniacs
who were to be- found along the banks OF the Hud-
10 The hollcr-,han thou citizens who became so i'm
erse4 9 o4co 9e4S 6c2 aP P. pr crsn. na
hr lly. to the horny handed agrlcultursts VINO as
in th~ dav on Election Day and thu submitted to
Il substantial argument. There was not pressing
a.llci VIZ no' mu'nrrgS , b bmousn ~ IN The next
should have the right TO pass compulsory Election
r Nlcog co'a b. saying ny We ,s have ge,i 4Sa
who believe In counting chickens before they are
haichel and 4 putting caniiletes In office before
they are elected are now 70 the fore presume
they would be opposed - this Amendment eHoe'''ht
charl.- ? Blake Of New-York. oppo,et II, the
prin, ipe that government depends on the consent
Mr. Goolele stated. as chairman u The suffrage
Committee tina, twelve ~ the seventeen members
Of ne suffrage COMMITTEE had favored the amend
ment. Ia MS opinion those who dld not want 10
Nr cochran oferei an amendment requiring all
voters to vote AT primary elections. -
Upon motion x Mr.. Dean tn convention then
the amendment and then BY vote 81 : % 49,, bt
adopted the rcpGr tbs simply mean, tha asa rne
David Mcclure offered resolution providing Tor
I'M no lu d
Tho COuy'nlon reassemb.nl AZ oc.ock ms 'v't
nr ana ,ook " Nj fuckers gm,endmssn' a6oIh
III Francs chairman Of the committee which re,
he adverse repor,. saying tha, IN the opinion OF
he committee the matter was one for .eSiaatye
20 serve corporate Interests he repudated as untrue
tn committee ld noi gnt'rak, 70 pass upon ne ihf
merits OF ;he question ont was ~ ne opih.2n mat
legislation should not be Iut in the G3nsi;non .na
M95Ts Sp , a fo2 be pnb aod It w %oaM
make the railways more careful - guiri against
sSonJ nave changed its vote after the counsel FOR
the Central Railroad had been In the committee
Mr Mayb,e ady9ca,ei the amendms19, on the
''Nr N'cho,s opp1sei the report. saying that the
state hsI long outgrown the Imitation. The Limit
was to-day entirely inadequate
The previous question was ordered At $50, and the
report was rejected by vote Of "a 70 loi ~
'fhe minority report OF the Committee on Prcam-
Bile reads The right Of action - hereby given for
statutory limitation shah b. placed upon the amount
OF damages recoverable. or upon the right TO
cover by cvl action FOR the loss Of human life or
for injury 10 the person
The Committee Rules reported In favor OF
no ding evening sessions Tuesday. Wednesday,
Thurs lay and Friday eyer for the consideration
OF raj orders
\ large number of delegates opposed Friday night
sessions "a inconvenent. Mr. Root said that 1t
would bc impossible to finish unless longer sessions
wera held MIR Bowers said that II the convention
WAS going 70 do anything II was time to begin
Tho Friday evening session was stricken out and
the rule adopted
In answer to a resolution introduced by Mr.. Lin
colin hfty- counties in the state have reported
tho number Of persons natur1lizcl In 1893 Il, 99
They were divided to nativity As follows Ger
many 5.437. Great Britain G7ol: Russia. 1857; Italy
17F Austria 1871 Sw 'trn and Norway. 92l. Switz-
erland 1879 Denmark li9. Rumanla. ~: France 10:
Holland r. spain 80. Greece. a. Poland ~. Turkey
81: Belgium. % Hungary. 10. Barblry States. 10:
Prussia \: Portugal 8; SaX0ny. I; South America
.: Persie. l. bohemia. l. Mexico /. Uruguay |: Hon
duras / Luxembourg. /; Costa Rca L. Venezuela
/. uncasslned ;
W. an nroH rppOr ha NJ nrop