The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-29
Tho Balloe Law.

Governor MORTON signed on Wednesday
tho amended ballot bill which was passed
by the Legislature under the spur OF a
special executive message certifying to It's
Importance in the last hours of the session.
Under the terms Of the new law the Presi-
Dental election of this year, and likewise
the State election, will be held, and the new
rules prescribed are Of political Importance
and are therefore worthy Of consideration.
Section Is of Article III. Of the amended
State Constitution specifically provides
that mo bill shall be passed or become a
Law unless it shall have been printed and
upon the desks Of the members In Its final
form at least three calendar legislative days
prior to its final passage" The Constitu-
ton in the same article provides as an excep-
ton to thisr rule that where the Governor,
or the acting Governor, shall have certified
to tho necessity Of its immediate passage
under his land and the seal of
the State" then this three days
Sule is abrogated, and a measure which the
Governor so c~ertifes may be passed without
delay. The ballot system of New York, a
cumbersome and vexatious scheme. under
which, as the official returns filed In Albany
show, more than 25, 1000 voters of the State
were disfranchised at the last election, was
unsatisfactory to both political parties, and
there was a loud demand for it's amendment,
particularly as regards the obnoxious pro-
vision which deprives the courts OF ju-
risdiction in cases involving the validity
or regularity Of the returns. Unfor-
tunately the work of amending last years
ballot law seems to have been intrusted
to Republicans only, representing small vii
lagos in the interior of the State remote
from railroad communication and possessed
of meagre knowledge of what occurs in the
large cities. In many such villages the
primitive, bucolic system of viva voce. voting
Is still popular, and political lines are so
tightly drawn that the bystanders outside
of the voting place can usually foretell the
result of the canvass by the afternoon OF
election day with such accuracy that the Off
cial count of the votes is little more thar a
legal ratification of their estimate. These
rural legislators were so dilatory in attend
ang to the work of amending the ballot law
that on April 20, the day preceding the ad-
5ournment of the Legislature, there was
before the Assembly no copy Of the bill in
final form " as the Constitution provides.
All amendments would therefore have failed
summarily Notwithstanding the declaration
contained in Governor MoRToN's message
TO the Legislature, a part Of which was as
follows:
THE ballot law should DO amended In regard TO the
provision applying TO cases where two or more per-
sons are standing as candidates. for the same once, so
as to render It less dinicult for the voter to express
his exact choice. and thus diminish the danger OF
iosing his vote"
The Republicans Of the Legislature hav-
ing failed to comply with the fair and eQui-
table suggestion of the Governor In January,
he deemed it his duty in April to send a
special message in the form of a certificate
allowed by the Constitution for
action. Tardily, without proper considera-
tion, and ~precipitately in the last hours of
the session, therefore, the ballot bill was
passed, establishing the changes In the
method of nominations to which we have
referred.
A political party under the new ballot law
Is one which cast upward OF 10, 900 votes
at the last preceding general election for
Governor, and such a party has the right 70
a separate column and to the accompanying
circle for voting an entire ticket by a
single cross mark. Apart from the
Democratic and Republican parties, two
Ouusiuo uTHdIlLhllons Ouly IN New YORK
city polled more than 10000 votes
at last years election-the Independent
County organization and the Socialist Labor
party. The other factions or . parties" fell
below the 10000 vote limit. The State De
mocracy polled 100 votes, the Prohibition
party 97l votes, the Populists 900, and the
Good Government Club organization moro
thar twice rs many, or l,467. At the cleo
tion for Congressman two years ago, the
Republicans carried five OF the nine dis
tricts in this city, and they WED their
success in four Of the five districts
20 division of Democratic strength between
two rival Democratic candidates. In the
same contest the Republicans elected in New
York city seventeen Assemblymen, ten OF
them through Democratic divisions and
seven only through a numerical preponder-