The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-08-18

tuguese vote was in the majority,
and they are proverbially illiteratc,
consequently they must ask the In
spector to check their ticket for
them, which makes the ballot more
public than it now is. He said that
he did not believe that the majority
of the voters could be trusted to
carry out their own wishes. There
are large majorities in the outside
districts who will vote for those who
promise the most. He was not in
favor of any coercion at the polls.
He beloved that man should 90
untrammelled to vote, and he be-
leved that there were 10 or 20 in
telligent people in every district that
could explain and eXpound the
status of the different candidates.
He believed that if the Government
controlled the printing of the ballots
and issued them to candidates, that
the ballot would be more secret than
it can be with this bill. The intelli-
gent vote of this country is in the
minority and we have to enact law
to protect the minority from the ILL
terate majority. Becausesthis laws
has been successful in countries
where there is large intelligent
electorate, it does not follow that it
will be so here.
Rep. Kinney spoke against the
section as in the bill. He said it
would cut off outside influence and
double the influence inside, and that
inside could and would be controlled
by a corrupt Government.
Noble Smith moved to indefinitely
postpone the section. He said that
if we had an intelligent electorate
he might support the bill, but we
have not that, and he believed that
the object would be defeated by
adopting this section. But secrecy
could be obtained to a certain ex-
tent by adopting the amendment
offered or some other like it.
Noble Waterhouse said he wished
to have his vote recorded for q secret
ballot. He said that all men should
have the right to go to the polls and
deposit his ballot without anybody
else knowing what that ballot con-
tanned.
Rep. G.. Brown was in favor of the
section as in the bill. The basis of
the opposition to this bill seems to
be that there are large number of
illiterate voters. He did not believe
that the illiterate voters in the outer
districts would exceed one tenth of
the whole number; very large
majority can read and write, and
are able to vote intelligently. If
the British Colonies, Great Britain
and several states of the United
States of America from whom this
law has been in part have
found it to work well, why should
not Hawaii try it? We are no more
ignorant than other nations, but will
compare favorably with any nation
in the world, as regards literacy.
Minister Ashford spoke in favor
of the section as in the bill. He
was in favor of the secret ballot. 1t
is not new experiment, it has been
tried in other countries and proved
successful. He did not know why
it should not be so here.' He had
no doubt that abuses would creep in,
as they had done in other countries,
but he believed now was the time
to adopt the secret ballot and he
wished to have his vote recorded in
favor of it.
Noble Baldwin believed in the bill
as whole, and had supported the
preceding sections. He thought
that some of the succeeding sections
we're good and he should support
them, but he did not believe in this
section, which provide for secret
ballotlng. He spoke of the litter
acy of the majority of the voters or
plantations, and said it was impossi
BILE for any secrecy to be observed
by these people in voting, because
they had to depend upon others tc
SNOW Inem winch names to mark.
He should vote against the section
because he deemed it impractica,
BILE.
Rep. Kamauoha spoke in favor OF
the bill. He referred to the objec.
ton raised by the other side, that
illiterate persons would have to get
the assistance of the Inspector to
mark their tickets. 1t is just the
same under the present system, al
ignorant man comes to one Of the
runners outside the polls and asks
for special ticket. He Is is handed
one, but he does not know whethe
that ballot contains the name Of the
candidate he wishes to vote for o
not. This system obliges the in
spector to mark this man ticket will
the name he desires, and the candi
date as well as two assistants tina
this laws allows to be around tn,
polls will see that the inspector doe
mark the ticket as requested. Fl,
should support the section as in til,
bill.
Rep. Nakaleka spoke in favor o
the section. He. thought it would
be the means of stopping an,
intimidation at the polls and conse
| uuentlV should suDDOrt il.