St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-05
FOR BALLOT REFORM.
The House Of Representatives
Spends a Day Over the Aus
tpalian System.
Although the Measure Was
Severely Attacked, 1t Still
Lives.
Senators Grow Warm in the
Collar Over Civil SerV-
ice.
The House Judiciary Recon-
mends the Meat Inspee-
ton Bill to Be Killed.

The house devoted all of yesterday,
from II O'Clock to 6:15, incidentally dis
cussing the Reyes bill to establish the
Australian system of elections in this
state, principally arguing over the Re-
publican state platform, the Democratic
party and anything and everything but
the Australian system. The measure
was taken up section by section, and as
it covers but 81 pages, only sixteen sec
tons were covered yesterday. The
chief attack and the speechmaking did
not begin until after O'Clock, when
Mr.. Searle attempted to have the Aus
tralian ballot system stricken cut of the
bill. Previous to this Judge Fleming
had struck the keynote to the preva-
lent feeling in regard to the Whiteman
law when he said (and Senator White
man was Oh the floor when he said it,:
I'VE have a monStrOSity known as the
Whiteman law. which is Ubiquitous and
impracticable."
Then afterwards came Mr.. Searles'
effort to kill the Australian portions of
the new bill. Judge Fleming resisted
this on the ground that the Republican
members of the legislature were pledged
by their party platform to support and
adopt this system:
1--we are on record. We have made a
solemn pledge to the people to give
them this system. The laboring class
of the state demand this. Ii you break
your promise and faith to them [ war
rant that you will hear from them in the
next campaign that will not be comfort
ing. The Democratic party of this
state also pledged this. They know
that this same class that you propose
to trample under your feet were de-
manding this reform. And if you re-
fuse to give him this protection. to pre-
vent him to cast an honest ballot, this
same Democratic party will cast your
bad faith back to your teeth. Can you
afford to do this? What faith will they
have in the party if you diShonor this
pledge? [ do not wish to crack the
party lash over you, but the interests of
the Republican party are at stake in
this. If we keep our faith with the
people we shall profit better than If we
destroy this Australian system"
Mr.. Benson followed him with reply
to his assertions.
What right have we here to discuss
Republicanism or Democracy? | don't
care what the Republican party did in
its platform. If it said that it would
adopt the Australian system, it didn't
know what it was talking about. We
do. We don't desire this Australian
system. 1t is entirely impracticable.
We don'tneed it,"
Mr.. jacobson grew very excited in his
attack upon the bill.
lit is entirely wrong to speak of this
as a party measure. We have carried
our present system of voting for hun
dred years, and shall we now desert it
for measure that IS a step backward?
1t would kill any party that adopted
this system. 1t ought to.
Mr.. Lane favored the bill:
1.-The Australian system is what the
labOring people want. We have given
them our solemn promise that we would
give ii to them. | tell you that the
people of this state will remember you
if you violate this faith. There is not a
Democrat within the hearing of my
voice but what will vote for this bill"
Mr.. Morgan took an opposite view
from him:
81 have read the bill with care, and l
am thoroughly convinced that its pro-
visions are too cumbersome to be put
into effect in the country districts. The
question is this: SIS it a wise and Just
measured" In my judgment it is I'M
wieldy; there is no demand for it. We
have no ballot box Stuffing in this state;
there is no need for it,"
MI Lay COGIu llOb ICSlSJ tlit
ton of assuming know-Nothing role
Il don't believe that the Iaboring men
of this state care one iota for the pas
sage of this bill. The only element de-
string the passage of this bill are the
Mugwumps, and they are Unamericans
in America. The bill itself is decidedly
un-American."
Mr.. Dunn fought the measure, but
when he said the farmers and laboring
people did not desire the passage of the
bill, Judge Fleming, who is from his
district, rose and presented a petition
from there signed by the Farmers ALI
ance and WOrkingmen'S orders, favOring
the bill, and asking for its passage
Mr.. Reyes, the author of the bill, in
closing the debate. said:
II am willing to await the verdict of
time. This bill is not the child of John
A. Reyes, but is the child of progress.
Wisconsin, more progressive than we,
has already adopted the system.
At 6 o'clock motion was made to
strike out the sections relating to the
Australian form of ballots was defeated
by vote of SO to 90. 1t was then moved
that the committee rise and report
progress, which Mr.. Dunn amended by
moving that the bill be indefinitely
postponed. which was defeated by q
vote of SO to 10. The committee Their
rose and reported progress, after which
the house adjourned until to-day, when
Ia vr-I1l 10 4oI-