New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-02
THE RAINES BALLOT BILL.
IT'S PROVISIONS FOR ASSISTING THE IL
11TrRArE STRONGLY CONDEMNED.
$500. LAW OPERATES IN THE STATE
OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF BAL
lots MADE EASY.

Jr0y
nv Observation-Disclosures OF BAL
LOTS MADE EASY.
To the Editor o: The Tribune. ,r +. ,ho.
."e ~ 49,, know the Raines Ballot BILL In the
form in which It was passed by the oena'e'
tanned very dangerous provision io' ., no,,o,
aa.o ~ q, trterate voter in preparing MS oaio''
,,., "friend'' to accompany the voter into
~ ,,otIrg-hooth. 1t was claimed by many sincere
rorsons that such assistance coud NC So
afforded by two sworn election oicetS VI oppvS
ra,ties and the Raines Bill uhoouo'euiy ie.
,hs votes OF many Senators VINO sincerely oe"o'
.,a, when so amended in the Assembly, !. "o.'D
-, orao.,coiIv harmless measure. AS the Eiecuoh
-, of MARYLAND contains provision perNi''''is a'
u,lterate voter to have such assistance WIZ. ~
Henry Stockbridge. OF Baltimore. requesting .'
49, tnto--, mo what it's effect had been in actual
,-,c,,co Mr. StockbrldSes "eDiy Is eh'''ieu ~
l,., no. orlv because he IS loyal Repuphcah
|,..,r, baon elected as such TO congress from inc
democratic city of Baltimore IN 1870 anu iiasn3
hoar y member OF the Republican Slate Nrs,f,
Committee since 1850, but from i.S oY'0 a..ion
Tor oc,ua, observation. In response 10 ny W, On
" - no writes under date OF AfI'i 80
49,, 80 Ia. two wears | have been one VI w
.t-oo executives for Baltimore city having u''.
u,der nv charge all the polhns-P'1C 80 ,.y
m, Of the twenty-five wards lEto "' Iii
Is divided and II being my du'y " 49,. 30 eloc-
,,gn,aco from ore to five times on the ueS "a
, 'D or1,q 70 circumstances" THINK '"a'
,.,a ,oirlv qualified my witness as an e@pe''' o."
I therefore bespeak for his evidence 'oul .orof
attention; as, in addition 20 CONN n,or has M
n, many that assistance by elec''o.' '' -. re
merit over that afforded by -''e"r' -
n'.elv tho reverse he points out source OF aans
=, ,.h,cb M one has as yet a.ucen' anu "
.bo,,ld nraclude the enactment Oh any Id" w."
co,,ld have the result which MI. ".o0n' 80
cares this provision in the Mary'a"D ''" ''
brought about He writes
Under our statute the voter r,n whP his ballot, and
,hay ~ ;hcn furnished by the TWO pa.U - and
In operation MS pro'e e5j dslivery Of votes The
hlin, cie ks are human and partisans ana o
rot d1y to make use OF signal impaired 10
him by the purchaser WHO u, 10 ballot clerk
az S,s own party) and the meaning OF "n MAO
may may not be uAterseD"r r- ~ oasral OF cleo
non nracticay presiles over the desery 90 ' 70
goods. and can rt&aig whether he bargain
b been carried out and the money - payao. r
H Wn, Ge' This ali The ballot clerks from Their REX
.>gr krnuledce Of precinct vii! know ne pom.
cal procvities OF from - TO 20 pc, ,e aSdii,onal
voters Of the precinct. Give them me a. hai,ofs
Knowledge to be gained from marking ,re csnoot
OF all voters VINO may 'ec.air ,o vii readily see
that they form pretty coffect gsrerai trend
TIE early hours OF hf d nced 81 be- give Such
HIcstion 70 the workers on the outsiie the othcr
sr the purchasable and far more Tdcspbbe een
at,eurt al corruption. such IS Wnst W. ia orEing
Lhroush n, o, bv or BY the assistance Of election
officials is thoroughly pad
M- stockhrldge then refers to the assis'a
-, a ,r,.nd as the only alternative method OF aid-
Ing an illterate voter. and points out the
70 the method on the score Of the 'aeI"'y ato'r.
hv II for yotc-buying and the certainty OF the oe
Ivory o, purchased vote by means OF IT, anu
continues: ,
And yet with all this feel nat it i pFfsfea0s IS
20 hase id n, all sire by restricting the number
os friends for whom an; one person sion ID 70 he a
reesicred voter OF the same election dis,rGt Sa
precinct with the ftorate. this danger I'd" "
In a considerable degree reduced.
rhara e nothing surprising in wha, Mr. stockbrldse
.,,e N those who have made 4 special STUDY oi
the working OF election laws. and particularly OF
harket-ballot laws The assurance e'iheeu ~ pc
sons who without the slightest previous s'uuy "
experience attempt 10 provide remeuieS ,of YIN
ditions which they do not understand ~ VIVA. sui
nrlsns the ballot reformers. II does not as.oiS..
hen when MIR Rainess Ballot bill declares lhat LA
cross marx will cast the electors vote loL Sc..
Tain candiates 1t not surprising nat sitnoesn
Mr. S,ockhridge had not seen copy or NJ.
BALLOT BILL the only two sugsestions ,n. ~ ,dn1 10
IL volunteers for good ballot Jaw as I'. ihat
rnoncls shoud not be- used N making the cross
marx and that ballots should De 9'd,u Rine s
hy the prnter-are rot TO be found IN l,e n"''. ~
IN md mat both are met by the Sanger pili. -.
course these minor provisions are inpyt1s''., 't
iilterntc voters should. however be most serous s
considered By every one VINO pehe'e' !" "''''
The Ralnes bill allows voter who swears tnat ne
cannot write by reason OF ilieracy 10 nv ,aTes
only 10 = voter who cannot read II WIZ be per,
r1ncfv-nine cases out OF hundred In order to ERE,
pare ballot voter VINO ntn ~. can r,I rasy d,
this 10y means OF the symbols printed on ne res
|, Is true that II voter cannot read ana HesllSS
- scratch his ticket the Ranes oa.ot r %9uaa
render this process very difficult bur Mr. haI,es
would probably not regard THIS as serious ura"
back The only ilntcrate voter mere Is snauoM
OF excuse for assisting is the individual Known as
a person whose name does not appear on the oalot'
nv many this indiV dual Is supposed TO DC cor
stl,utional felton," but persons who I'VE among
voters 81 the lower walks OF lie declare tnat 'here
in some instances (as In case candidate should
fail through some technicNhty TO hle correct noWi-
nation papers) the desire 10 vote for person whose
name does not appear on the ballot would necess!-
writing on the part OF some N2,ers 1liu pr
ever. relation whatever between the necessity
u be provided for and the remedy apilrd Dy the
Raines b To meet ne ~ vote oas' for or ,V nnme
who cannot write VINO wants 70 no'e 10, r !, i, s
not on the ballot, the kanes bill would permit as
sstance {? be given to class OF voters MAX N
the entire voting population. II this Is ballot re-
form" let us rather suffer from multiplicity OF
Tie sanger blis provision for iilitera,e voters re-
lates solely 10 those who. as above described nesd
write The assistant only sees the name or the
person whose name he writes. He is not present
when the voter prepares hls ballot OF course the
ballot may afterward be idcntlhed by the person
who wrote the name. but the possibility OF the iden
tlncation OF ballots exists for every man who can
write. he write fictitious name. or one
previously agreed under the title OF some unin-
por'ant Office: but this subjects his ballot to cnal-
lcngc az being marked for Identification and is dan
Ccroua The lnteratc voter is simply afforded the
same opportunity for fraul under the Sanger bill
as the voter who write has. In spite of any pro-
bin But under the Ranss NJ the delivery OF The
ballot being thrown out a marked ballot. The
entire safeguard Of secrecy hitherto jealousy
'N"w.York Aprl 30 1895 nOt'DINOT KEITH.