New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-03
RlIIOT EEEORM pONSIBILITILS.

Vojlot reform matters N Albany are In Il nhl-
III. from which II IL n; least doubtful II they ever
cmcrcc In ,he fern Of saluiary legislation. We
have been disposed 10 think from the outset tiht
,hc Sanger bill was In several respects the better
Of the two measures which have occupied great
dcol Of time and attention in both branches ~
the Legislature. Mr.. Sanger Is n new member
Of the Assembly, but he IS Il man Of education
and character. and Of much experience In prac-
tical affairs. His sincerity is unpucs'ioncd By
any one. and in the preparation Of tie bll when
hears his name he had the advantage Of assist
oncc from men who had given the subject "i
ballot reform long and di>int.rcstel study. some
provisions Of this bin. however. AMI especially us
mode Of designating parties ard candidates, hav"
been criticised. and in this latter rcSp'c' Inc
Roircs bill has seemed To Us on The whole prefer
able Furthermore. the Raincs bill mas hah Inc
advantage of position from the start anu IL mas
apparcntly been question or accepting ''h''
measure in some form or Of getting nothing AT
all N this session in the way OF improve" haI"'
LEGISLATION. Chiefly on this account we hav"
deemed Il unwsc 10 encourage earnest l'ra''lcai
advocacy of the Sanger bill. familiar ana mclan-
choly experience showing how easy II i. ana 10
many legislators how agreeable. 10 bring TWO
bills aiming nj Il good purpose mo CONNECT 10
MAY them off one against the other. and ul'i-
matcy 10 leave them both hung M
Rut ,he treatment Of the Rainc> bill has not
bccn STRAIGHTFORWARD and crcditablc. II has APP
ncarcd in various forms and rs passed by The
Senate II carried IN ab0m'nablc provision pre-
c,solv coIculotel. If not deliberately intended. 10
extend and fortlfy corruption at The polls inns
was tbc provision permitting the illiicrate voter
/ 1T, into ,h..h fD
mare his ballot. 1t probably Would BE- impossible
TO devise a means by which election thieves could
carry ON their outrageous trade more to their
satisfaction than under the license OF ms pro
vision We do not hesitate To say that we should
consider II both safer and more honorable 10 20
an under the system which has proved so objec-
tionablc hitherto than To inlroduc" THIS new ana
fcrtlle source Of fraud BY The action taken In
the Assembly yesterday the two houses are III
disagreement over the ltaines bill, which Will
now 90 into conference. by this ACTON ais"'
which in itself was unsatisfactory. though per
hans cxcusablc since II appears to nave been
based upon a hope Of something better l"rcai'c'
the Sanger bill was defeated or course u!
! acr, emcnt OF the confcrrecs 1t could bc sups'i-
tinted for the Rancs bill. but we see no prospect
that IL will be- The question SIN remains
whether we ale 10 have II new billot INV WORTH
having. or a law essentially worse than the one
now I'm opcrnion, or no change whatsoever. We
say again, unhcsI,atingly, that We Inlcl prefer
this last possibility 10 the enactment OF law
which would throw all the opportunity they want
info the hnnds " election thieves, ana give them
all the protection they could nsh
II IL 10 be- dcplorcd that n constitutional nrccs
sliy Is believed 10 exist for showing to utterly
Illl,cratc ana presumably unworthy citizens
spccal tenderness Iut since such IT, or seems
40 he. the case, The obligation Is Imperative to
surround their peculiar privileges with every
safeguard against INSCRIPTIONS manipulation \
satisfactory security Of this sort we have be-
licvcd would be supplied by provision permit
ting an Illltcratc voter TO call upon two sworn
election officers Of different parties for JOINT as
sistancc In the preparation Of his bnilot We OBJ
serve TINT some stanch ballot rcfornciS oDJec'
70 this proposition, but. on the other manu. u Is
satisfactory 10 many others. including Ilcu'en
| ant(;ovcrnor Saxton. In that form we Should
think 1t safe to pass the Ralncs BILL But II II
should become feasible 1T later stage IN the
proceedings 10 adjust existing complications ana
anita gonisrns by accepting the Sanger bill, we
should consider such an issue out OF the present
confusion extremely fortunate.