Show Governor Hill on Ballot Reform ALBANY N Y Jan Governor Hili in his annual message to the legislature was desirous of some changes in the laws relating re-lating t the elections He reviews the present election laws and says Yet in spite of these excellent provisions our laws do not reach the two great evils which attend at-tend our elections intimidation and corruption cor-ruption Thf se flourish unchecKed bring ing shame upon our state rendering our elections a mockery and threatening even the integrity and existence of our political institutions I is indeed a sad allegation which is made and not denied that in some I t t4iJ + parts of our state at the recent presidential presi-dential election corruption was so unrestrained un-restrained that the scanes at the polls resembled an auction more than an election elec-tion and that in other places intimidation was so prevalent and undisguised particularly par-ticularly at some of our manufacturing centers that employees were virtually driven to the polls and actually instructed by their employers as to what tickets they should vote The governor reviews the Australian system and finds some excellent things in it but as a whole he condemns it He recommends rec-ommends the passage of a law which will provide for secret compartments for the voter and claims that this provision alone would do much to prevent corruption and would secure the chief benefits of true electoral reform The governor objects to an exclusively official ballot and says that the provision which requires a voter to vote by placing s mark opposite the name of his candidate is unconstitutional because be-cause it makes an educational qualification that the voter shall be able t read otherwise other-wise mark he cant know where to place the |