New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-04-25

sHhANKET FASTER AND A BLANKET BALLOT
THE ONLY CONDENSATION WHICH WILL MEET
HIS APPROvAI,-THE sAXTON BILL
CUMBERSOME AND TIE SHEFFIELD
BILL UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
Albany. April Ex-Governor Flower has trans
s,,-ted the following message on ballot reform
10 the Legislature:
.1n my annual message to the Legislature.
transmitted January last, l said:
Repeated experience with the recently en-
,red Ballot law has suggested several desirable
changes to promote simplicity in voting. The
,,ost important change needed is one to avoid
r,ultplicity Of ballots placed In the hands of
,ba voter The present system leads to confu-
sion mistakes and annoyances' recommended
,,s adoption Of n so-caled blanket ballot with
,ba names upon it so arranged and printed that
~. elcctor can easily vote for the candidates Of
bis choice
although nearly four months have elapsed
s.nos the transmission of the recommendation.
no hill incorporating the suggestion has yet been
nresented for Executive approval This delay
q unfortunate. for had bill been passed earlier
IN the session containing any provision which
yhe Executive did not approve. there would have
seen ample time to permit the adjustment of any
a,Herences between the Executive and legsla-
h the measure. and law could have been placed
nm the statute books which would have given
general satisfaction to the public
$50 desirable do consider the enactment or
q measure which will simplify the present
method of voting. that, considering the lateness
n, the session aud the apparent radical diifer-
erces between the Senate and Assembly upon
.b,s subject. l ar inclined to offe- some sug-
res,ions IN advance relative TO two bills now
pending in the Legislature. to the end that wise
and good ballot law may be passed and receive
my official signature.
PERSONALLY IN FAYoR OF THE SIMPLEST BALLOT
"Trhe essential difference between the Senate
hu and the Assembly bill as the two now stand
,s that the Assembly bill make, no provision
for any kind Of a paster ballot, while the Senate
hill reruits the use oi a single paster for each
Office voted for So far as the aim Of simple
ballot is concerned the Assembly bill. in It's
present shape most nearly comedies with the
Recommendation OF my annual message. Bu'
the enactment Of such a bill is out Of the ques-
ron The controversy as 10 the constitution
alty OF such a ballot is finally closed by the
opinion Of some of the most prominent lawyers
of New-York, published in to-day's newspapers
holding such a ballot law to be unconstitutional.
Governor Flower then quotes the opinion IN
full. and continues:
This opinion. coming from such distinguished
authority. precudes from consideration any Dill
which does not permit the use Of some klnd ot
paster ballot The discussion then resolves into
a consideration of the question as 10 the KIND OF
q paster ballot which is best adapted 10 securing
secrecy and simplicity. and which will beat pro-
mote the exercise of franchise by the ignorant
or physically disabled voter.
4 THE QUESTION OF CONSTITUTIONALITY
! 1.-The Assembly bill as introduced by Mr.. Shelf
ed. provided originally for certain official paster
ballots TO be furnished in the polling-place to
persons who had previously testified 10 their
physical disability or TO their iteracy, but pro-
hibited all other persons from using any paster
ballot whatever. This latter provision would be
unconstitutional according 10 that part OF the
opinion quoted above which says that II secret
ballot act prescribing an official ballot does not
permit the voter TO vote by paster p.t., placca
tional. The provision relative 10 physically dis
ebled or illiterate voters is cumbersome and COM
phcated, and would foi ms ana o'Htf Ieaso'.9'
work a practical disfranc chlsemen; II not an
actual one The worst feature OF It. however Is
the opportunity II would afford for bribery py
sts permission to the illiterdte 70 take persons
with them into the polling booths man VINO
will sell his vote will commit perjury ana IL Is
well known that the provision OF tne Piesent
Jaw relative 10 assistance TO physically disabled
voters has been utilized at times 10 bribe voters
by wholesale.
= FASTER PROVISIONS OF THE SENATE BILL"
s-rhe Senate bill provisions as TO paster bal
bot are substantially follows: Any voter may
snse one or more pastors, each OF which shaH
,contain the title Of a single office 70 be nlled
and the name Of one person whose name IS not
ialready printed upon the official ballot as can
didate for such Office for whom the voter ihay
desire 10 vote. 80 single paster shalI CONTAIN
the name Of more than one candidate: sun
paster or pasters shall be pasted upon the biahK
margin at the foot Of the ballot and het eise
where. In such manner that no one Tl M, n11
shall project beyond the edge Of the bailot, anu
the ballot shall be counted as vO'e 80 dIi ~ ~
person whose name appears upon any sucn pa
Ter for the Office whose title appears thereon
bHFIcULT1Es BEsETTING THE ILLrTERAIE
VOTER
{ '-rhe illterate voter Or airy person who desires
10 vote for names other thar those on the ofh-
cial ballot would have 10 paste the name lor
each office separately in the blank margin at the
foot Of the ballo,. 1t he desires To vote an en-
ttre ticket whose names are not on the pa4loI' a.
e. often the case In independent movements, ~
has constitutional night - 90 So aCcoiui"e -
rhe before mentioned opinion; put accoluIHs "
tths bill he must put on Inherent p.,n,a pde'e. lo
tfach Office voted for. This unnecessarily reSilC'9
and Inconvenience him in voting. II ne Were
permitted 70 apply one blanket paster. incluuins
All the names he desires 20 vOte 'he ~ 20 Dn
would be much simpler ana theTe couIu pe ~ ~
tyeasonable objection 10 il. Indeed, t paSuhg -
70 De permitted at all and IT must De- II apPeai
lhoer our Constitution. lnc S'tIi'o -,11. oifot
kor blanket paster az exist ior piahAet paIc, t,
We desire 70 get rid of the multiplicity Oh p|i,oe
now in use but we should not make indelendeht
voting more difficult by compelling mulupnciy
ofpasters simpler ballot Is what we an "&'s nt
and nothing can be simpler than blanket @ oa,-
lot with the use Of the blanket paster perintttedd td
The question Of secrecy Is not involved in thls as
ksue so long as assistance 10 illiterates INSIDE
he booth is permitted for Identification OF bal
'hs cast by bribed voters is no more liable ~ When
tSe ballots contain blanket pastors than w whei
ney contain individual pastors, and the present
law nullifies ballots marked in any way Tor lde"-
uncaton.
aZ DECLARES IN FAVOR or THE BLANhEI