New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-27
William M. Bennett
John Purroy Mitchell
MAYOR
Vote for One

In the enclosed square before one OF
these names the enrolled voter was in
structed to place a cross mark, indi-
eating his choice. Exactly the same
elementary problem confronted him
when it came TO voting for Controller
or for President of the Board Of Al
dermen, with this difference-that in
both the latter cases the name of the
organization designee led that Of the
insurgent, appearing in this order:
For Controller, William A. Prender.
CAST, Judson G. Wall; for President OF
the Board Of Aldermen, Robert Adam
son, Frank d. Wilsey.
All would have gone we'll, apparently
so far as the city ticket was concerned
II Mayor Mitchell had been lucky enough
in the drawing to have his name lead
Benefits. As it was, in too many
instances counted yesterday afternoon
the voter, rushing into the booth, evil
IDENTIFY placed his cross mark agsins.
the name Of the first mentioned Of the
candidates for each Of the three Of
fees, then suddenly discovering that he
had voted for Bennett instead OF
Mitchell, laboriously erased his cross
mark before Benefits name and sub
stituted one before MitchePs. In some
cases his erasure had been so pains
taking that it had made q hole in the
ballot.
The election officials had counted
these ballots for Mitchell, despite the
provision in the election law which rem
ders any ballot containing an erssure
void. They had failed to notice the
erasure, or they had relied for justif
cation on the evident intent Of the
voter.
Mayor Mitchell suffered from an
other trap in the long Manhattan bal
lot. For Justice Of the City Court,
full term, there appeared the names
Of six candidates, with the edmonton
to vote for five. The last Of the six
names was that of John A. Logan
Campbell, the only insurgent on the
list. Any number of voters. it seems.
voted for all six men and then rene
died their mistake In arithmetic by
trying to cross out or erase the cross
mark they had placed against Camp
BELLS name.
All such ballots, II the law is ctrict-
ly interpreted, will be declared in
valid, though the voter may have In
dicated his choice for Mayor and all
the other Offices with an impeccable
clarity. And since in Manhattan
Mayor Mitchell was the fsvorite among
the enrolled Republicans, this particu-
lar mistake will cost him more votes
than it will his opponent. In Brook
Ign, where Bennett polled the heavier
vote, the enrolled Republicans did not
vote for City Court justices.
Some voters, as an evidence Of their
catholicity of taste, put q cross mark
before the name of every candidate on
the ballot. Others put their crosses
after. instead of in, the squares before
the names. Some crossed out with
their pencils the names of the candi-
dates against whom they were voting
all in plain violation of the in
structions which occupied six lines Of
legible type at the top Of the ballot.
Yet the enrolled voter in party
primary is probably better versed in
the fine art Of voting than the average
voter at a general election. He has had
enough interest in politics to affiliate
himself with party organization
And in contrast with the majority Of
his party members, ne has had enough
interest in the nominees to 90 to the
primaries. In addition, no doubt. he
has, in most instances, had specific in
structions in the matter from his dis
trict captain.
The average voter at general cleo
tion has had neither this interest nor
these advantages. And the ballot
which he must digest is longer, and in
some respects more complicated The
number of ballots he voids, therefore,
must amount almost TO the enforce
ment of an educational qualification
for the suffrage.