Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-01

draughted and approved. prohibits any po-
lice officer from going into polling places
to interfere with elections in any manner
III he does so he shall be dismissed from
the force and. upon conviction, snail be
sentenced to the peuiteutia.y. This Is a
hard rap at the police assistance usually
given Tammany.
A State Commission.
Under the provision OF the bill as now
prepared the police commission provisions
in the Greater New York Charter will not
be charged. and the mayor will retain his
appointing power. that he will be able
TO appoint the fourth commissioner any
time it pleases him to do So This bill.
which in its failure to reorganize the poll e
board is satisfactory TO the organization
because, as Senator Plat said they could
not get the measure they wished TO punish
Tammany Hall and Mayor Van WICK
takes away from the governments OF ali
the cities of the state any connection with
the election work. This avoids the neces-
sity OF submitting the law TO the Greater
New York and relieves the secretary OF
state and the municipal assembly of New
York from participating in the working of
the election machinery. The state is put
in control through the operation of a state
commission, to be appointed by the govern
or upon the recommendation OF the chair
men CT the executive committees of the
Two political organizations casting the high
est number OF votes. If the political par
ties do not recommend any names the gov
ernor appoints ALL The term of office is
five years and the salary $6OpO This conn
mission appoints superintendent with a
salary OF S6po who serves during good be-
havior. He is the secretary and executive
ohlcer OF the commission. If the commits
sion cannot agree on a superintendent the
governor casts the deciding vote. The COM
MISSION is to make all the announcements
IN relation to elections prepare all the
forms of books and ballots. canvas the
votes and Is custodian of records
Inc commission is also empowered I'm
tlme OF war to act as a registry and cam
vassing board, to enable ali men in actual
mltary service to vote. Their headouar-
tiers shall be in Albany, The state sltnarIn
tendent OF elections is clothed with police
powers The state commission is to an
point county commissioners recommended
py the TWO political organizations to con-
uuct all elections in their respectiye coun
ties under directions of the state cornn1ts
sion They are 10 serve at a salary of
St,ooo In Kings, New York and Erie conn
.Ies, sZ,ooo IN Richmond and Queens, and
IN other counties at salaries 10 be fixed Inv
the supervisors -
Lodging House Reports
The lodging -houses. where colonization
Is usually bred are reached bv a nro,,ision
OF the law which compels the proprietors
TO submit a sworn statement to the board
OF county commissioners. every day for the
thlrty days preceding election of the in
mates of their lodging houses and during
that time the deputies are authorized To
make daily investigations of the lodging
houses The penalty for a failure to report
Is nne OF from SO to 500 for each Of
tense All of the election officers canvas
sers; ballot clerks, etc, are to be appointed
by the county commissioners upon the ROC
ommendation Of the chairman of the eY-
ecutive committees of the two political or.
CARNATIONS casting the highest number OF
votes The rest of the bill is a re-enact-
ment OF the existing election law TO which
the above provisions are added as amend-
ment OF course, the various sections have
mad the necessary verbal alterations made
TO make them conform to the county idea
out their effect is the same. Ii is possible
mat some suggestions made by the party
leaders in the state may yet be adopted to
modify some of the provisions so as to re-
duce the cost of the new scheme. This will
De decided upon in a few days.
Hard Morsel for Tammany.
Taken all in all it is a hard morsel for
Tammany's digestion. 1t was freely stated
today that the bill, IL enacted, would en-
able the democrats to beat Black OF
course, these statements came from the
democrats. They talk loudly about the re-
sentiment the people have always shown at
Interference" with the elections and call
attention to the possibility that as the op-
position to federal interference with state
elections cost the republicans the prest.
oehcy' not SO many years ago, state inter-
ference with local elections may prove
equally disastrous. These critics of the
governors policy say that according 10 the
provisions of the bill, the republican party
Will have the power of appointing several
thousand heelerS with despotic powers
namely, 1000 in Greater New York alone
and that many of the men who Will accept
SUCH appointments will be more than NOR
tai il they do not take advantage of their
position and their powers
On the other hand, the republicans are
hot for the bill. The coming election con-
test will be a hard-fought one The repub-
1can party, they say. must at least have a
square deaI at the polls. w. Is. II.