New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-25
THE UNION LEAGUE PLAN.
,r,rrREs OF THE PRIMARY BILL MIR.
ROOT TOOK TO ALBANY.

A
.,s SECRET VOTING. AND BLACK HAS NOT
,xDoRsED rT-soME OF IT'S PARTS oP-
aosrn BY INDEPENDENT REPUBLICANS.
.n,rv Feb "a Especially D.-"Perhars there
~, he any Primary Reform law after all"
..marked Senator Platt's newspaper organ over
or,b ago in a careless sort Of way and yet
,,tb chuckle as though aware Of the Senator's
ornosition 10 any bill for the Improvement OF
.,a nriraries With Senator Platt waiting 10
,ah any genuine Primary Reform bill. REFORM
.rs have had need to take care. 1t Is satsiac-
49, therefore to know that Mr. Platt has been
unmnsked .x
FIhu Root came hero a day or so ago with
~r from, q committee OF the Union League Club
s,,o,,,ns many provisions intended to purify
,,orv elections A little ahead Of him arrived
rs.o,d Iauterbach and John Sabine Smith,
- rere here clearly in Mr.. Platts interest.
.rhoush posing representatives OF the New
-, organization Of the Republican party. MT
~. ,,,hr,,.ted his bill and had long talk
-. Urinary reform with Mr. Black Then
~. 1auterbaoh and Mr. Smith had talk Win
~. Governor on the same subject. They maze
!. ,,oar 10 him that M-. Platt and the Inacnlhe
.,cn he orposed 70 the Union League Cluo Dill
- long as II provides for secre; ballo, at pri-
maries.
UNFAIR OPPOSITION.
people were not surprised 70 near ms morn
~, after Mr. Smith and Mr. Lauteroach hao
,.,, town that the Governor had concluoeo h0'
,o accept the Union League CUBS Dill d. PRES
an, Some criticisms Of the measure nave oeeh
mad. by independent Republicans but an eN-
-,,nation of II does not indicate that ther oo-
,ections TO It as whole are 30 serious as ~
rsou,re ifs rejection It's registration system ana
,,s secret ballot plan are cer,at"l' eNc7|en''
=, ,rovides that on any one Of the days or
registration in the cities Of New-forK' hulla'o'
pocbester Syracuse Troy and Albany a voter
NAV have his name recorded as member or
ro,,t,cal party There is no compulsion about
49,. voter NAV enroll or not as he pleases.
The bill says;
,rhs r,qht Of an elector to enroll p member
y, nartv as provided. shall be subject to
challenge. and II challenged the elector may, at
his option. file with the Board Of inspectors
written declaration In the form given in TINS
section. or he shall answer the questions herein
after provided II he shall file such deciaraton'
nv - he answer each of such questions IN the
Affirmative. he shall he Immediately enrolled. as
~ he had not been challenged.
PRESENT INTENTION THE QUALIFICATION
The declaration referred 10 states that 1t is
",be nrasent Intention Of the voter "to support
oe,arallv at the next ensuing State or National
election the nominees Of such party for State or
National Offices" and that he has mot enrolled
with or participated in the primaries OF any
other party since the last day Of general eiec-
ton"
The seventh Tuesday before the day OF the
general election in every year Is 70 be known rs
"the annual primary day." and the primary eiec-
,,o, ~ de,ecates 70 conventions is TO take place
q, ,bs, dav There is TO be en- additional prl-
mary day this year in June, In consequence VI
the election OF Governor taking place anu NJ
these primaries all voters who were regls'e''u
last fall are TO be permitted TO vote perhaps
Mr. plat e d,splease6 with this feature Of the
bill. Probably he would like a new enrolment
Far too many Seth Low Republicans now nave
their names on the poll lists in New-fork CITY
10 satisfy him.
Tho act provides that additional primary cleo
,,ons shall be held in June OF each year when
Governor IS TO be elected. For thirty days be-
fore tha; election names may be aided 10 me
rolls by voters who were registered the two pre-
cedin. wears or By voters who have come or age
since the registration days Of the previous year
Mr. Roots bill apparently provides that the
INSPECTORS Of election shall hold special regis
tration on the TUESDAY following the first Mon
dav Of next June. This special registration udS'
n this act passss, will be June l. 1875. All tne
EXPENSE Of this extra day Of registration lor
primary election purposes would be county
charge
GOLD DEMOCRATS BARRED.
One Of the grounds or the opposition OF some
,ndependent Republicans TO the measure Is 'hd'
n does not recognize the righ: OF Gold Demo
crat. y members of the Social-Labor party OF
Of Prohibitionists to hold offcia. primaries
II says:
The term party" shall apply 10 any pohtcai
organization which a. the last preceding electoii
Of a Governor polled at least 8 per centum Oh
the entire vote cast in the State for Governor.
The following number Of votes were cast at the
last election Of Governor
Frank { Black Republican lN5lb
Wilbur = Porter Democrat 0s1yz1
Da~{ei q Griffin Gold DemOcrat.............. Hh'4s
William w Smith ProhibtiOnist............. y il9
Howard Balkan Socia!ist-La5or. .............. B5O2
Three per cen, of ,424, $40 is 42.736. 1t would
Seem. therefore. that the Union League club Dill
rules out the Gold Democrats, the Prohibition
lists and the Socialist-Labor voters as members
o, anv party" II they hold primaries they