GOOD GOVERNMENT CLUB WATCHERS.

NE of the most important factors in the result of the election November 6, 1894, was unquestionably the Good Government Club watcher. His presence at the polls, from the opening until the close, his intelligent supervision of the registration and of the count, aided materially in the result, as it stopped to a very large extent fraudulent registration, and prevented any material frauds in the count.

About three weeks prior to the election the Campaign Committee of the Committee of Seventy, realizing that it was absolutely essential to inaugurate a thorough and honest system of watching the polls on Election day, requested the Executive Committee of the convention of Good Government Clubs to undertake this most important work, and promised its aid in carrying out the details. Said Executive Committee thereupon appointed a Campaign Committee of three, consisting of W. Harris Roome, chairman of the committee; Isaac H. Klein and Preble Tucker. This committee took immediate possession of the rooms furnished it by the Committee of Seventy at its headquarters, and started in upon the task of assigning to each of the eleven hundred and forty-two polling places in the city two intelligent and reliable watchers.

The committee assigned to each Assembly District a captain, who was responsible to the committee for all the watchers in his Assembly District. Inasmuch as there was a Good Government Club in nearly every Assembly District, the chairman of the Campaign Committee of such club was appointed captain of his Assembly District, and was instructed to furnish the Committee on Watchers with a list of the men who would serve as watchers in his Assembly District. In cases where a club covered more than one Assembly District, or where an Assembly District was without an organized club, the committee selected some trustworthy man as captain, and authorized him to establish temporary headquarters in his district.

In order to get watchers of the right kind an appeal was made to the City Vigilance League, the City Club, and other reform organizations, including the Law Schools of Columbia College and New York University, to furnish volunteers. This appeal was very liberally responded to, and as fast as volunteers arrived they were assigned by the Assembly District captains to their posts in the various Election Districts. A full list of instructions was furnished to each Assembly District captain, and he was required to assemble his watchers. together and instruct them upon the Election law and as to the rights and duties of watchers. A printed list of the voters registered in his Election District was given to each watcher, who was instructed to keep a strict tally of those who voted and those who were challenged, and such other data as would be useful in case of prosecution for election frauds. In addition to this a copy of the pamphlet entitled, "A Plain Statement of the Election Law as in Force in New York City," compiled by the City Club, in conjunction with the Legislative Committee of the Confederated Good Government Clubs and the City Reform

Club, was put in the hands of each watcher some time prior to Election day, and also a copy of the Election law as published by the Police Department.

Thus equipped he was required to report at the polling place to which he had been assigned, before the opening of the polls, where he was officially recognized by the authority of his watcher's certificate and badge.

In addition to this work, in certain Election Districts which in previous years had shown a large fraudulent registration, special watchers were appointed to prevent, if possible, a repetition of the wholesale frauds of 1893. The work accomplished by Good Government Club watchers resulted in a falling off in one Assembly District alone of over 2,000 in the registration, and in connection with the special attention paid to this locality by the City Club, aided materially in the reduction of the Tammany majority from 10,000 in 1893 to 1,800 in 1894! On Election day lawyers chosen for that purpose were assigned to the different Assembly District headquarters, in order that the watchers might have legal protection in case of trouble. Lawyers representing the Committee of Seventy were also assigned to the various Police Courts, and a certain number of citizens qualified to give bail were also on duty at these courts.

The election passed off quietly; and for the first time in years, in consequence of this system, an almost absolutely honest election was had. Very little trouble was experienced by the Good Government Club watchers in doing their duty. There were many instances of incompetency on the part of inspectors. This, however, was in part owing to the multiplicity of ballots. In many cases the Good Government Club watchers were of great assistance in aiding the inspectors to do their duty and in straightening out the confusion caused by the inspectors' ignorance. In consequence of the protests filed by the City Club since the election, the Board of Police Commissioners refused to certify, in a great many instances, to the fact of the election officials' having performed their work properly; and as a consequence, over sixteen hundred incompetent election officials have been unable to draw their pay. This fact, together with the experience of the Good Government Club watchers on Election day, will probably lead to the appointment in future of a much higher and more intelligent class of inspectors of election.

The universal testimony as to the efficient and courageous manner in which the Good Government Club watchers did their duty and maintained their rights proved the efficacy of the system adopted. Even the Tammany inspectors and workers, when they realized that the watchers were not there for partisan purposes, but were ready to stand up for the rights of all parties, ceased to oppose, and in many cases sought advice from the Good Government Club men. It is safe to say that, but for the organization of the Good Government Clubs, this system of watching could not have been thoroughly carried out in the short. time allowed. As a prominent factor in the success of the campaign, its importance cannot be overestimated, and it will probably lead to the permanent establishment in the future of some such system at each election.

PREBLE TUCKER.