New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-23
BALLOT REFORM OUTLOOK AT ALBANY.
PRESENT CONDITION AND STAGE OF PROGRESS
OF THE sAXToN AND SHEFFIELD ELLIS
THE "I\DIVIDUAL PAST cE."

THE INDIVIDUAL PAST :E."
Albany. April % (SpeciaD.-One Of the questions
which will have to be settled by the Republicans
before the adjournment of the Legislature this week
is as to the ballot measure which will be sent to
the Governor 10y the Republicans. There now
two Ballot bills before the legislature each OF
which has passed the House in which it was first
introduced They are the SaXton and Sheffield bills
The Saxton bin is the measure which is favored
by the City Club Of New-York. while the Sheffield
bill Is the work mainly of the Committee of Seven
appointed at a caucus of the Republican Assembly
men held to decide the stand which they should
take on that question. The chairman Of this com
inittee was Mr OGrady, Of Rochester and among
It's other members were Nj Thornton. the chairman
of the Assembly judiciary Committee; Hamilton
Fish and Mr. Sheffield This committee took the
original Sheffield bill and out Of il constructed the
measure which soon passed the Assembly. receiving
the votes Of ali the Republicans and OF Mr.. Ryder,
OF Westchester County This is simple "biankei'
bill, providing for blanket ballot, with no en-
tangling alliances with the "pas;er."
Originally the Sheffield and Saxton bills were sim
liar both being the work Of the City cub OF New
York What the Republicans in the Assembly dis
liked about the Sheffield bill the provision for
what is known the individual paster" ballot.
and it through the efforts Of the Speaker of the
Assembly in the that this provision was
stricken out 1t is the idea of the Speaker, well
as of all the members of the caucus committee
appointed to redraft the measure, that the "indi-
'vldual pastcr' ballot opens wide the door for the
Identification of the balot-a thing which all OF the
ballot bills introduced have sought to make In,possi-
bic. Under the provisions OF the measure which
Senator Saxton introduced at the request of the
City Club any who is. or declare that ne is.
inlterate. and who desires to vote for some one
whose names does not appear Oh the official ballot.
when he registers announces his ilteracy. where
upon check-mark is put after his name On i>leo-
ton Day this permits him 10 obtain small slip OF
If .loc on and "a
some one accompany him into a booth for the al
legged purpose Of writing that slip Of paper the
name of some for whom the illltcrate voter de-
sires to cast his ballot.
Those members of the Assembly who have had TO
do with practical politics declare that under such a
provision OF law there would not be the least diff
Guilty in Identifying every vicious vote cast. They
maintain that who desires to sell his vote
is also willing declare that he Is 50 illiterate
that he must have some assistance in making up
his ballot This could be arranged 50 that each
district leader especially in the large cities. could
follow the purchasable Ote without e.TOT. through
his assistants, the district leader cSH!u ny az
of this class OF voters declare when they registered
that they are iHterate. Then on Election Day,
"heeler" working under the direction of the leader
could accompany the bribed man into the booth
ballot some fictitious name. as that Of the candi-
date for certain office John Doe for instance zee
Board Of Adermen Richard Roe would vote ioI
and when the votes were counted at the close OF
the day ne would know absolutely that the man
whom he had bribed had voted as he mad agreed
to vote. This method Of identifying votes has been
tried in mild way under the present system, but
the difficulty Of doing that now so that the leader
will have an absolute knowledge that his money
has been expended he expected lies in the fact
that only In cases OF physical disability can one
man accompany another into the booth.
Committee of the Assembly. while the Sheffield bill
Is in the hands OF conference committee, ~ nav
ing been returned from the Senate amended. SO
that II conforms TO the original Saxt9n Dill ~
position, which agreed upon after mature de-
liberation in the Republican caucus some time ago.
before the Sheffield bill passed the House me con-
ference committee was made up with consdera Dlt
care. Mr.. Sheffield. the inroducer OF the BILL
a matter of course had 70 be on the committee
and made its chairman. He says frankly that
bears his own name. Mr.. O'Grady of Rochester
and Mr.. Thornton. OF orange County both favor
the Sheffield bill as II passed the assembly, The
two Democrats on the committee are Mr.. Ryder
OF Westchestcr County and Mr. Butts OF New
York. Mr.. Ryder was put on the committee be
cause ne believes in a simple blanket ballot with
however. that the committee will report In favor OF
non-concurrine In the Senate amendments SHOULD
hood OF the Republican majority In the Assembly
accepting the bill as 1t now stands. The Republi
can party platforms have demanded a blanket
ballot and the Republican members OF the As
the party which ought TO be carried out at the
first opportunity. 1t IL said that Governor Flower
will not sign bill unless there Is "Daster'
provision in H. and that account Is urged that
''banket' ballot bill with "paster' ballot. be sen
10 him. Speaker Malby, Mr. Ainsworth and Other
Republican leaders in the Assembly believe. how
ever, thst the Governor should alone bear the r.
sponsibty for not giving the people pure ''blan
ket' ballot AZ any rate. II now seems 70 be M
Legislature to pass the bill as 1t was agreed upor
IN