New-York tribune., 1906-08-31
ELECTION REFORM.
Ne7c Plan to Dust Bosses Proposed
for Primary Procedure.
80 the Editnr nf a.. r..,h,,..a

sir; Every wise and brave man who IS seeking
nomination for an Office. either high or low. will
hosssnl
nave been laundering in private places" says
the voter, against these bosses in my own party
y. - saiiiNaoon FOR years IN vain and without avail
for' IL they had heard of It, they would have
s"ieAeh my name from all rolls OF committees and
aeiegates, thus throwing me down and out of
a participation IN local politics. In election after
eecton have voted by secret ballot against their
e,' aies' 70 prove and proclaim TO the whole wide
~oiia py The fact OF my vote that will never sub
nit TO their dictation rJ1s,n,ata1x sbau os,, Gov
Nnaiice TO nominate ali candidates for public office
"Ao punio trust abollshing all conventions and ali
.ouuohs. For the present, so as TO drive IN
80 n euse OK the wedge. I demand only way
70 exercise my power and authority 70 nominate
oirectly all candidates for places in INV own Marty
saniAauoh will exercise my own brains and
go, S own Juaefnenr In my political af-
go 9usN as 90 IN my own religious social, pro-
iessiohal and business affairs without any sugges-
s' . uoAeis or petitions made by nominators'
sPolisors or other kinds OF boss In a word and
tI says the voter, 'I determined TO re-
&C. grants from this bossing business or
se 4 shaA let them do my voting as we'll as nv
,as' ,,,-s' mus saving the taxes spent for cleo
Ioi-s. aho admit that IL these hosses ba brvs1aS
Dehand wisdom VIII d,e,a'
,,,.s- d candidate should at the earliest oppor-
,na anu occasion disclose his discovered plan for
e obstruction of bossisrn, so that the voters in
sea" OF these BOSSES shall construct and enpinae-
80 asV county machine He could, say advise
pan. which would apply equally to alI the
faiues' 10 let every voter be his own boss dIlus-
rating by our populous county OF New York; tt
VIII be necessary 20 reform tho riroarv, electio
40" IN some respects-for instance bv making reg
.Saihtoh Gays In August and September and a NOM
.sasioh oay' primary election day and reorgan-
izauon day in September. besides registration davs
~ october and the general election day in Novem-
per. The ballots shall be prepared printed and
paced In each OF the fifteen hundred polling places
ln TINS county. not by these bosses, as these
"orthles are permitted TO do by the present Pri-
mary Election law. but exclusively by the Board OF
hiecuons; shall be cast secretly. and shall be cast
Aot IN these bosses political Headquarters, but in
the onieial polling places. On nomination day the
voter shall repair to the polling place in his
election district and, on ballots property titled and
containing the names and addresses of all (prob-
ably 275l enrolled electors of his own party in his
election district, secretly vote-mark to nominate
as candidates the proportionate number OF men,
hers for mis- Assembly district general committee
and OF delegates for the respective conventions TO
which his election district would be entitled, prob
ably one for city convention. two for borough.
county end judiciary conventions. three for Congress
five for Assembly Convention ana ten for his AS
semnly district general committee. On primary
place and On Baots progeny ed and 10 "S conann
noTn,na4eS ana actresses OF an shose whe were
several conventions, secretly vote-nark to elect
shall again repair to his polling place. and bal
iots properly titled and containing the and
addresses of all (probably eol the elected general
committeeman secretly vore-mark to elect chair
man, a secretary and treasurer for his general
committee. The thirty-fvs elected chairmen (or
district leaders, shall be the executive Cor county,
committee. The executive members shall annually,
IN September. nominate and elect their chairman
for county leader, and always decide their reso-
lutions, when involving measures. methods. money
or men. exclusively by secret ballot, and their cleo
ton and resolutions shall be imperative until
thirty-five Assembly district general committees.
The members Of each Assembly district general
committee and the delegates of each convention
shall make their decisions resolutions and their
nominations and elections exclusively by secret bal
lot.
This reform" brazenly answer these bosses 20
such Fnurlnurs OF hundreds of thousands of com
planning voters. eff embodied in the state statutes.
or even merely allowed by a party rule, might
break and keep broke both our slate and treasury.
might withdraw from uS-your monarchS--the in
itiative in the making Of the that engineer the
party machine and might restore the source and
control Of all governmental power ana authority
In your state county and district politics to the
hands heads and hearts OF you so-called sovereign
voters We advisedly say might because we
modesfiy confess that, II this reform were
made the rule law, would beat you at IT any
way and remain and continue, as we have been,
the self-constituted self -perpetuating sef-sufh-
Client self-conceted, selfwiled. irresponsible au-
tocratc, presumptuous and arbitrary cotere in con-
troll gobbling and gluttoning all the political pums
without your consent and against your Will!
WILLIAM HENRY KNOX.
No 42 West 10th street. August 28, 1906