New-York tribune., 1907-01-04
STRAIGHT AND SPLIT VOTING.

The question of reform Of the ballot law
raised by Governor Hughes is one of relative
advantages. If we are to have a ballot which
facilitates Independent voting we gain certain
advantages. If we are to have a ballot which.
like the present one, makes straight ticket
voting easier than Independent voting we also
gain certain advantages. Either ballot sacri-
fees the commendable features of the other,
for there is no conceivable ballot which will
make straight voting easier than split voting
and at the same time split voting as easy as
straight voting We shall have to forego one
thing or the other.
For facility in straight voting it may be said
that the people are accustomed to it and proba-
bly, at first would resent change which would
require in place of 6ne mark on the ballot
score more. 1t may be said. too, that the
majority OF people habitually want to vote
straight, for 1t is an unduestonable assertion
that much more than majority of them act
ualy do vote straight at nearly every election.
1t may also be said that the people have right
10 the kind of ballot which they desire If
they really wish ballot on which they can
indicate their choice for all of the offices with
a single mark they should have such ballot
4 ballot Is not an instrument of reform, but
a convenient implement for recording the pub
lie will. An attempt should not be made, 1t
may be argued, to teach public-spiritedness by
compelling the people to make twenty marks
when they in their benighted laziness wish to
make only one.
On the other hand, for the form Of ticket
facilitating split voting 1t may be urged that
the demand for ballot making straight voting
easy is not so great as 1t seems. Many persons
would be perfectly content to take more trouble
IL they had to- There was public complaint OF
the present secret ballot when It was intro
duced as a terrible nuisance and hardship, but
such talk soon ceased TO be heard. There~is
growing tendency. exempfed in recent cleo
tions. toward Independent voting despite bal.
lot which makes such voting more difficult thaif
straight voting, and this indicated desire on
the part OF the public TO vote Independently
deserves to be taken into account. Then, again.
there is that most important consideration which
Governor Hughes urges namely, that IL single
mark voting were done away with every can
didate on the ticket would stand upon his own
legs. Weak nominations for minor offices would
not be carried through by the strength OF the
rest of the ticket" Parties would be more
careful about minor nominations and voters
would scrutiniZe them more attenuvely.
The present ballot has no friends. 1t Is
mOnstrosity. The growth of independent voting
has resulted in loading il with fictitious indie
pendent nominations. The new ballot when
devised Will undoubtedly take the form of the
Massa chusetts ballot. having the candidates
names grouped according 10 offices and not ac-
cording to parties but whether II will observe
the spirit OF the Massachusetts ballot or de-
part from II will depend upon which set OF
considerations given above prevails. The Mas
sachusetts form prevents the appearance of
a candidates name in more than one place on
the ballot but 1t may be easily adapted TO
straight voting. portion Of the ballot may
be set apart for parties names ard mark
In the circle before the name Of any one OF
them may be taken for straight vote for all
the candidates of that party. This form Of
ballot would do away with the nuisance of
the multiple appearance of candidates names on
the present ballot and make single mark voting
possible, but would leave split voting at the
same relative disadvantage as now. The strict
Massachusetts ballot. with no provision for the
single mark. makes it just as easy to split as to
vote straight for the voter has 10 mark the name
OF each individual candidate in either case.