Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-03-10

Laws of childhood are not adapted TO either
manhood or old age: and the principle holds
GOOD in nations as well as in mankind
The necessity of changes in our laws re-
au;rcs no demonstration. the proof exists
and is written on every page OF our history.
First the articles of confederation, tnen tne
constitution, and then the amendments IN Or
der as changes were required New obstacles
arise, unforeseen events appear, and natlons
are obliged to change their course IN order 10
sail safely over changing currents, and uu-
tried seas. The changed conditions or re-
lations of the several States to each other
and TO the general government, following the
war of the rebellion. to meet the new order OF
things. demanded changes in the constitution
20 secure the people in all their rights, and
the several amendments thereto are simply
necessity TO meet the new order of things IN
our progress As a nation.
A writer on representative reform in the
Edinburgh Review, treating OF this same
principle saws The problem is to secure an
elected assembly which shall embody all the
elements of our national life. In working
out such a problem il is assuredly necessary
not to omit or underestimate the most active
and the least favored Of all these elements.
I'VE are all aware" SAYS the writer, THAT
the laboring classes ought to be adequately
represented, and that they are not adequately
represented now. We have to devise some
franchise which shall give to the working
classes their due, and not more than their
due share of electoral power. We must ena-
Bile their voice to be fairly heard without en-
abling irunfairly to predominant"
The origin of the vote by ballot, as distin-
guished from other methods of voting is well
understood, and furnishes an answer TO the
question. The humble and dependent are in
a greater or less degree subject to the coer'
cion of the rich and powerful. Where any
matter is to be determined by the will of the
people. il is of the highest Importance that
| there be full expression of that will, and IN
| the desire to secure this end the ballot orlgi
mated. II has been adopted, wherever used
| for the purpose of securing the independence
| OF the indiy yidual voter. 1t secures his inde-
pendence because no man, other than HIM
self, NAV know how he voted. 1t throw:
over him ian impenetrable shield, under
which he may keep the secret Of his vote un
til he shall see fit TO disclose it."
1t is as a secret rote, and in no other way
| that the ballot accomplishes its concealed
purpose.
The courts. whenever the question ha,
been raised, hare universally held that secre
ey scGs an essential characters ic of the bat
lot.
| In our form of government, where the adj
ministration of public affairs is regulated by
the will of the people. or majority of them
expressed through the ballot-box. the free er
ercise of the elective franchise by the quail
| fed voters is matter of the highest import
ance. The safety and pe1petuity Of oar IN
stitmions depend upon this.
| Mr. President. l need not cite in proof o
fraud the condition of affairs in the Southern
States, with respect to the elections there
but will cite one instance among many near
er home.
| 1t is in proof in a manufacturing village il
New England that the vote of that villag
was under the entire control of the corpora
tion. The selectmen were entirely controlled
| by the corporation and made to do their in
famous work. The public halls were forbid
den to be let to the opposing party for politi
cal purposes, or social and business ostra
cism would follow.
| No flag was allowed to be set with the op
posing candidates name thereon. On elec
ton day a system of espionage was estab
lished that outstripped Russia and German.
even in these days of Nihilistic and Socialis
tic excitement. The voters were marched VI
in file with spies on each side, and made t
vote as their masters dictated or their EN-
in the old Bay State, which boasts of its Bunk
er Hill and Lexington and Plymouth Rocl
and its great men whose names will be cock
tensive with freedom. On that day, in tha
place, freedom died and was buried. w,
may boast of our freedom and talk about th
despotism of the old world. and crumblin,
thrones. and the divine right of kings, an,
thank fortune that the .'Atlantic rolls be
tween us and any formidable foe," but his
tory show that nations who have bid defiance
to foreign power, have fallen by domestic
| strife, and it becomes our duty to avoid al
dangers which pervert the will of the peopl,
which is the basis of all true freedom.
In a small town in this State a few year
| since a similar instance occurred. The littl
town was quite evenly balanced between th'
two opposing parties. just previous to elec
ton the workmen were given to understand
in a carefully worded speech that it would b,
for their benefit to vote as he wished. at tn
same time disclaiming any dictation in th'
matter of voting. The result was l24 vote
east for the party in the interest of the cor
poration and against. These are simpl,
representative cases.
Mr.. President, do we need any changes to
day in the method of our election in Orde
that the will of our people may be freely an,
fearlessly expressed? What means the com
plaint, loud, deep and bitter. from Maine t,
Texas ofbribery, intimidation, bulldozing an,
fraud, out of which our political trouble
have arisen? What hope, ask, can we ex
pect of a permanent and lasting peace unit
the people are secure in the exercise of thei
most sacred and cherisheds rights? Tha
great inspirer of the American revolution
Thomas Paine. said that the design and en-,
of government were freedom and security
How much freedom in electionl How mucI
security from political prescription in tn,
last few years? Let the whole country from
Maine to Louisiana answer
| Observation shows, truth declares. expe
rience demonstrates far more fully year b,
year. that our elections are getting to be
farce, an outrage, sham, and do not repre-
sent the will of the people, an,
the fabric of our once free government is tot
tering to its very foundations, and unless
sume remedy. very soon, is found to NEE
this gigantic and growing evil. must soor
tumble in ruins, and be numbered amons
the nations of the past.
Mr.. President.and gentlemen of the Senate
you will all bear testimony that the severes
~