New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-19

rTMAY BE that the newspaper reader
has not noted it, but he is receiving
l. little information regarding the plans
which the State Superintendent of Eiec-
tons is making to insure an honest cleo
ton Whether or not the fact that the
present incumbent of that Office is Tam
many war horse more than eighty years
old has anything TO do with this absence
Of any publicity regarding its activities,
or whether he is really inactive, or inef-
fective, may be left TO the imagination OF
the reader 1t remains a fact that little
is being said in the press about the plans
Of his Office for the protection of the bal
lot and the elimination Of the illegal vote.
That forty thousand or fifty thousand
illegal votes should be cast in New YORK
City despite the great precautions thrown
around the ballot, including that furnlshed
by the signature test, is difficult for the
honest voter to believe. Yet 1t Is assert
ed by those In a position to know some
thing about it that that Is approximately
the number which find their way into the
boxes and that elections in this city are
stir open TO decision by ballots cast Ly
fraudulent methods and, OF course IN
favor Of the machines. 1t 10 also a mat
ter Of conjecture whether the vote when
the upright, conscientious citizen hands
to the keeper OF the ballot box, with the
sense Of duty well performed, finds It's
way through the slit.
HONEST BALLOT ASSOCIATION.
A number Of New Workers, including
such persons as George B. Agnew. Wal
ter 7. Arndt, Robert Fulton Cutting
Cleveland II. Dodge. Frank Munsey'
George w. Perkins. Robert S. Binkerd'
Charles L. Hughes. jr., ogden Mills. Her
bert Parsons, William J. Schieffelln, Tai
colt Williams, Professor +. Stagg Within
and William Fellowes Morgan, have con-
sdered II particularly important this year
10 take steps to insure an honest election,
and have formed what they have de-
seribed az "a union of citizens, without
regard TO party, to insure clean elecuohs
IN New York City. and to prevent non
est votes from being Offset by trlckcry
and fraud They have styled II the
Honest Ballot Association. II one were
10 call In at Room Ais. No. 81 East 4Zo
street, on any weekday, and at almost
any hour ne would find classes Of col
lege men engaged in learning how me
Illegal voter gets his name on the regis
tiers and puts his vote in the box, and
now the politicians fill the boxes In GER
tain districts with ballots which do not
represent the opinion of voters, but the
choice Of political machines. The city
has been divided into twenty-one distrlcts
In charge OF each of these Is a SUD-
superintendent, to whom the watchers In
That district report. and to whom ~ az
signed reserve staff and group OF
Boy Scout messengers prepared to meet
emergencies.
Those who have registered may not
know 1t. but not only the information
which they gave 70 the registration offi-
Gals. but a physical description OF them
selves, was jotted down in a long, narrow
lndexed brown book In the hand OF "a rep
-esentative OF the association. Great
palms were taken to note the color OF
Tour skin and hair, the way in which you
treated your beard, your height and any
little physical peculiarities you may pos
sess Last year a repeater was discovered
simply because he WAS lame and that
fact was noted down by forty-hve watch
ers In as many registration places in de-
scrtbing man who did not think of
changing his peculiar name In any case.
The fact that there appeared to DC forty