New-York tribune., 1905-11-18
CALLS TICKET SYSTEM BEST
Henru r. Blake advocates 4ban-
d0nment of Blanket Ballot.


FIake presdent of the New-Haven Department
of Public Parks, is of the opinion that the Con-
necticut Ballot law, with its provisions regard
ing invalidating the ballot for distinguishing
marks" eradicated. might be taken as the basis
for ballot laws in other States where trouble
has arisen because of present ballot systems.
Mr. Blake, who is regarded as an authority on
the ballot question, has been much interested in
the New-York election this month, and the re-
suit shown there by the operation of the Aus
tralian ballot He is not in favor Of the intro
duction OF the Massachusetts, plan.
In a communication from him to The Tribune
to-day he raises the point that certain additions
to the ballot law in this State interfere with its
efficiency. Mr. Blake's letter follows:
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Having for several years made study Of
paoI a%s ana me- 9u s91 h f has taken
In different States of the Union and from time TO
ed in observing the proposed form of ballot shown
In your columns as recommended by the ballot re-
mittee consists in the abandonment of the pres
ent groupings of the candidates for all the offices
in separate party tickets, and grouping them &C
cording to the so-called Mas as5achusetts plan.
apha6eticai order under the title of the Once This
is the arrangement which has prevailed In
discarded there in favor Of the party ticket system
II has also been rejected in other States for very
substantial reasons. some of which are the folo~-
ing: .,,.s -. .. a. .,,a-,,
Eiret-Tha voter being compelled by IL 10 marx
every candidate whom he desires TO vote for, many
voters mark only the principal candloate' or only
Second-As the alphabetical order Of the party
candidates for each office varies there is greae
straight ticket, and much more in voting q spit
Third-It has been found by experience that in
q list of different party candidates the first namo
arR 0a te it fs eong Is P' to- % This applies to for
the highest offices, as well as the others these
fully established by experience, as can be shown
by statistics But apart from these It is eyld6ar
as straight or split viii reqHre higher The dfgTge 4sr
abandoned and: as was remarked 9y aouose,. ] e es
quoted lately in The Tribune If the he aTeragf sagf
ballot correctly. how can you expect him to man
The root and foundation Of all the troubles which
NewYork has had with its present ballet system ten
lot Ever since it was adopted. in 1890. the State
has been striving by every conceivable, device and
cessfu and always will be. The same fncurable
troubles have been e&peTeneed IN of haos bens
made void by improper marking or no no haraIng aoI9
i1 most elections these disputed votes did not
change the result that the blanket ballot has main
complicated and perpe9xing Qualities s5+ ~. remedy
and that is a radical one Abandon the blanket
ballot entirely, and return to the single ticket bal
av tG9 n9s as It It has been employed for the last fifteen
years in the State of Connecticut ,,,-u,.
single ticket ballot about five inches by eight IN
5z 5sn sae snppe T he s at e
official envelope for ballots, also provided by the
into which every voter required to enter before
voting and within which he may privately incIoss
ballots are obtainabo and always distributed before
Election Day, many electors prepare then at nome ne
splitting a ticket consists merely in erasing one
be done bv the most careless or stupid voter within
the booth without trouble or delay AS the oTnGiaL
therefor Independent parties and nomnatons are
and o as the tn M oT aS Of peeoon thers
is possibility of fasco like that OF the FiaIi am
Election ge6 oa''ioSS in New y York e city }:S' ''
These comprise the only essenIa nId + tbess
alone had been adhered to by the legislators; the
Of II the m yf oer fas Would ba7s SO
ice Of it the frameys doh 9I me dor M n
ated into it some superfuous and incongruous pro
visions borrowed from the 4 M pa
from prescribed form or for so called dlstln. si
caused the disputed election Of 1890 and its dscred
table results They nave also occasioned half a
sies since then but the general operation of the
system has been so successful and SATISFACTORY
that the people Of the State would never consent 10
a short time ago a MN of high intelligence said
Il voted the Australian ballot for several years in
voted by the Connecticut method several times
There is no question that the latter system Is IN
1.-THE Connecticut ballot system were adopted in
anv other state 1t should be left free from ItS
vicious provisions for inyalidating the ballot for
so called distinguishing marks etc with this
other respects which experience has shown to be
desirable it would completely abolish the conditions
which a member of your ballot reform committee,
as reported in The Tribune lately specified as the the
f1a grant defects the present NewYork law, VIZ:
''I7irst-Obstruct:ng Independent nominations.
''Second-The needlessly complex form OF the
ballot; and, ., 49,
'Third-The confusing directions for counting the
vote"
HENRY T. BLAKE
New Haven Conn, Nov. II. 1905.
rumRCH WILL Re LIKE a CLUE.