New-York tribune., 1909-10-15
AN UNWIELDY BALLOT
WIDER THIN THE BOOTH.
Tscenty-One Columns vii Make
Work for the YOter.

The official ballot TO be used Election Day
will be wider cluInser and harder TO handle than
any before in this city At present 1t
looks il there would be twenty-one columns
each with a separate ticket Last year there were
seven columns. This years ballot. unless different
tickets can legally be placed in the same column,
will be So inches wide and Is inches deep. 1t will
have be folded several times, and will be a most
unwieldy document to handle in voting booth.
which is only a feet wide. 1t will increase the
chances for questioning the validity OF votes, as it
is certain that a great many ballots will become
torn. The weight of the ballots required for each
election district will be hundred or more pounds
The Republican ticket will be on the extreme
left because that party poIled the most votes at
the last gubernatoriaI election 1t will be followed
in order by the Democratic party. the Independence
League the Socialist and the Prohibition parties
The independent nominations will all be to the right
of the FIVE regular tickets. II can thus be seen
that there will be less trouble IN finding the Re-
publican column than the others.
The search for a particular independent column
in a booth not as big the ballot will not only
be troublesome, but will cause great waste or
time and consequent congestion IN the polling
places The hardship to voters will be Increased
further by the that they will not be permitted
under the law open and scan the ballots outside
the voting booths.
Counting the votes will be an arduous task,
pecalIy as the officials will have TO add up all the
straight tickets first and then back to the split
tickets which have been passed over. The tally
sheets will probably be eight or ten feet wide at
the least
President Dooling of the Board OF Elections said
that the work for his department would be pro
dgious. In answer to a question as to the legality
of having a candidates name put only once on the
ballot Mr.. Dooling said: That much maIgned
man. Senator Raines tried to have a bill passed
requiring candidates who received several nOmina-
tions to choose under which emblem they would
appear and allowing their names to be placed only
once the ballot. We favored the bill. but it
never became law"
Every one connected with the Board OF EIec-
tions has been working overtime the last two
days, and the work is not nearly finished, not
withstanding the large force of extra clerks en-
gagged. Members Of law committees of the dif-
ferent parties were busy also, looking over the
petitions OF other parties seeking for material on
which protests could be founded. All OF these
investigators were closely watched by the police
and clerks make sure that they did not mis-
place any part of the petitions they were exam
lining.
Commissioner Charles b. Page said that many
pages were stolen four years ago in this manner,
but that he did not purpose have it happen
again. It is against the rules for any petition
10 be unfastened to separate the sheets
One attempted to do that, but was immedt
ateIy stepped Ii enough sheets could be removed,
many OF the petitions would fall short of the
necessary number of sgners, and might be thrown
out that reason.
About hundred and sixty protests have been
filed so far and more may come in to-day and
. o'clock this afternoon the board will begin to
hear arguments ON the protests. A regular calen
dar is being arranged, and the cases will be called
in order. in a courtroom.
The protest which is Of the greatest public in
terest is the one filed by the Civic Alliance against
a petition nominating the Tammany ticket. but
using the Alliances name and emblem. AS there
two Tammany men out of four on the Board OF
Elections there may be deadlock. In that case
the matter will probably be referred to justice Of
the Supreme Court as it will be If the board gives
a definite decision aud the losing side appeals. A
further appeal would bring the to the Appel
late Division. If necessary. the Court of Appeals
at Albany will give a final verdict. As election
cases take precedence over all others. number Of
appeals probably be handled IN a very short
time The Board Of Elections accepted several
kinds of civic Alliance petitions hut will not de-
eide in favor of any until it has heard the lawyers
for each Clarence j. Shearu. James \. Allen Mr..
Meyer and others will be on hand TO argue for Mr..
Hearst.
Charles f, Gehring. campaign manager OF the
civic Alliance, said last night;
II have desire < into a controversy with
President Dooling the Board OF Elections regard
ing the validity of petitions fled, take that the
Beard of Elections will he fully competent to decide
which of the petitions hed the legal petitions
OF the civic Alliance. They will also he competent
to decide which of tho petitions dled those sent
broadcast by the political desperadnes in Tammany
Hail.
President DooIine; when Mr.. behring's remarks
had been repeated To him. said: II won't enter
into any controversy with Mr.. Gehrng the
representative of any political party. An exam
ination OF the petitions file. however shows
that Mr.. Gehring's statement is not warranted by
the facts in the case
MIR. DooIng said that the matter OF the civic
Alliance did not seem important one to him.
as all the tickets with the required number of
signatures would appear ON the ballot. and il
would merely mean the changing of name and
emblem In regard 10 the complaint that the
Democratic civil Alliance petitions had the
| name of Mr. GehriRg, Mr. Allen ana others
them as members OF 4 committee empowered to
MI vacancies President DOoHng said,
ANY of men has the right In ding petition
TO select the names OF committeeman To M
cancies that may occur the ticket without their
sanction The certihcatiOn OF nomination is equally
/ good with or without tho naming of such a com
| mittCc IL frequently happens that committeeman
were named without their knowledge or consent
II also frequently happens that delegates are
lected and voted for al primary elections without
! their knowledge consent