New-York tribune., 1912-03-07
BLOCKS ELECTION REFORM
Senate Kills Bill for Separate
Judicial Column.
SHORT BALLOT IS URGED
Assembly Judiciary Committee
Hears Arguments for Massa-
chusetts System.
[By Telegraph to The Tribune. ]


Albany, March 6-While the Assembly
Judiciary Committee was giving a hearing
to-day on the bill to create a separate col
umn on the ballot for judicial candidates,
with their names arranged on the Massa-
chusetts plan. the Senate, In committee OF
the whole. was killing the bill After two
hour debate the enacting clause was struck
out Of the measure by a vote Of a to u.
Ansey Wilcox, of Buffalo; Robert Grier
Monroe, for the New York Bar Association,
and others argued for the measure 1T the
hearing. Mr.. Wilcox read letters fayorlnS
It from Senator Root and Secretary Stim-
son. The State Bar Association, he said.
was behind the measure. and he read a
list of lawyers who favored Il. which in
cluded some Of the most widely known in
the state.
Mr.. Wilcox argued that there should be
no party column for judicial candidates.
and that system Of electing judges of this
kind would result in a cleaner and abler
judiciary, free from political taint. Never
theless. the Assembly committee does not
seem to take kindly to the bill, and it does
not seem likely TO be reported.
In the Senate Senator Loomis, who intro
duced the bill. and Senators Murtaugh.
Burd and Ferris argued for it, against ii
were Senators Hinman, Wagner, McClel-
land and Cobb.
Says It Would Be Useless.
This bill wouldn't help the situation one
iota," said Senator Hinman. 1T would pro-
duce no better class Of candidates than we
have now. Under any system the people
will get the kind Of government they want
and deserve"
BY vote Of "a TO the Loomis bill. which
seeks to obvate the constitutional objection
Of the Court Of Appeals to personal regis
tration in the rural districts by substituting
a system of registering by identifying am
davits of two electors, was also defeated IN
the Senate. The vote was reconsidered and
laid on the table, from which 1t Is the ex-
pectation to take 1t up when full Demo-
cratic membership can be obtained. All
the Democratic Senators present to-day
voted in the affirmative.
The Assembly judiciary Committee this
afternoon gave hearings on the Dana
\ Massachusetts and short ballot measures.
The latter, a constitutional amendment,
provides that the only state officers to be
elected shall be Governor, Lieutenant Gov
ernor and legislators. The other officers
now elected are to be appointed by the
Governor. Mr.. Dana said il would greatly
strengthen and centraliZe the state gov
ernment by enabling the Governor to
gather around him a cabinet of men who
are his own appointees and who are
friendly to him. He expressed the opinion
that under the present system the state
officers. which his bill would have appoint
ed. are not really representative Of the
people as the large majority Of voters
fail to consider any Of the candidates ex-
cept the head of the ticket
City Club Urges the Bill.
Speaking of the Massachusetts ballot
bill. Robert S. Binkerd, for the City Club
Of New York, said the present ballot leads
to confusion and decreases the ability of
the voter to express his choice. as there
are two or three different ways by which
| the ballot may be marked. The Massa-
chusetts ballot, In the Dana bill, provides
! only one way of marking that ballOt-that
is. by putting a cross before the name Of
each candidate.
Mr.. Blnkerd SAID IL ala away Win the
present foolish duplication OF names by
arranging the candidates in Office groups
rather than party columns. Political par
ties, he held, would not lose strength by
the Massachusetts ballot. but its effect
would be to compel the candidates to be
representative.
Now many men who are elected TO Of
flce," he said, "get there only by hanging
on the coat tails OF some popular candi-
date for Mayor. Governor or President.
and not because public opinion favors
them"
Lawson Purdy and Assemblymen Dana
and Hanzhaf also spoke for the bill.