Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-02-15

Gress Britain since 1870. snd has been abso-
lufeIy successful, the elections pass OF quiet
", there 10 no Disturbance, the record
ing Of tine votes i made In lees
tune than under the old
syssem, snd br berry ard -intimidasion
has practically disappeared In Great Britain
siDce that measure became law
In the operation of this Law in Louisville.
Kentucky. what vas the efectg There vas
nothing difficult or complicated in the prsc-
teal operation Of the law. and the votefs bad
no din ;ulty in obeying its requirements. re-
eoriius Of votes vss done in less time than
under the old system, there vas NO bribery
or intimidation. Then 10 il unreasonable to
expect that the same thing viii take plsc in
his State il this bill becomes . hvf
II this bill becomes law. it will strike .
deadly blow At the root Of the election upas
tree that now poi.ons the life of the State.
that lavish expenditure Of money for corrupt
election purposes. that caucus manipulation
and packing will entirely disappear. she poor
man will no longer be practically excluded
from holdisg publ; positions and there will
be bet r and cleaner nominal ons- A SINH
lar law Is upon the statute book of Massa-
chasetts and similar lass are now contem-
plated by two-thirds of the States of the
Union so that the friends Of
this reform believe that within
the next two years this system wall controi
the elections of at least majority OF the
Northern States of this Union. Will Maine
be true TO her motto. Il Direct: He be-
iieved that this bill was demanded by ma
jority of the people in the State and cited 10
Sitnes. the large number of petitions re-
ceiyed. The people are justly alarmed at
the threatened assault upon the sanctity Of
TIE ballot, but If this does not become Law
al this session it will at the next session of
the legislature. He believed that the mem
DRY OF this bill would last Ii the public
speaker should die, yet the moral effect of
MS word, viii outlast the humble argument
lnAt conveyed them and the breath of liberty
viii uot die with the humble argument that
conveyed It, but wal suryiyeit applause
Mr.. >pfazue spoke in reply to Mr.. LOO
uey. H. dil not think that in respect to
bribery this state was on a par with other
States in the Union. or Indiana, where 1t
was said bribery is common and open. He
lii not think that it was best To try an ex
pertinent, and to chat &c q system OF ballot
ING unless there was prime necessity for
H.. In II gard to penalties for bribery in
other coun ries, the strlctness with which the
~ is enforced is an etfectual remedy for
bribery or intimidation. IL. showed that
there were ways in which mock ballots
could be easily supi lied under the secret
ballot system.
Mr.. WisSell of Ellsworth said that while
it would be an exceedingly good rule for leg
islstors to adopt, to speak only upon such
matters as they were entirely conversant
with, still one of the very reasons why he
was led to address the House upon this ques
ton was because he didnot and could not
understand all of theavarous complicA,el
details of tt.is bill. Or course the leaiing
provisions were apparent to all, and upon
this he desired to occupy the attention of
tue House for short time. He concurred
ia the proposition of his frienC from Por land
that this government is based npon the ualimit
ed suffrage of the people. He thought 1t was
tie policy of everybody, it certainly was of
the party to which he nal the homo. u be-
ny, that every legally qualified citizen who
is entitled 10 woe, wherever he may be,
whatever his class or rank OF degree or color,
snail have the right To throw his vote and
have it counted. Applause. HIS principal
objection u the bill was that it restricts the
right OF suffrage. IL is so qualified, SO COM
plicated, 1t imposes So many restrictions and
ueLdils mat u VIII utUdE ITUul the Il2ut VI
suffrage many of the millions who are
entitled to It. What could be mpler and bet
ter than the provisions that exist at the present
timer A man may take his own paper aud
with his own pen or pencil write his own
ballot, and without fear of intimidation,
without let or hindrance, may deposit that
vote in the ballot box. The gentleman
from Portland said that the principal object
-, h.,. ueI ~ the saA %. nf This n
The prevention of bribery aud intimidation.
He was willing to conc de that = secret
ballot might have a tendency to prevent in
t.mdation. But he didn't believe that in
tlmldation exists in the State Of Maine.
lie would not deny that there
was bribery in the State
of Maine. He didn't believe that we have
gone, OF ever will CO. with our small and in
Ielligent communities, to such an extent as
they have already gone and are rapidly 60
ing in other portions of our country, still he
would not say that there was no bribery in
the State. But he couldE't perceive how
tins bill wouli have the slightest effect in
preventing bribery. 1t was the first time
that it had ever been his privilege to hear
advocated that secresy and darkness will
prevent crime He believed that
very many men are restrained
from selling their votes because
Of their fear of public opinion. This meas
ure which was advocated by his friend from
Portland Sith the purest and best of motives,
instead of preventing bribery would furnish
better ppIrtunity to pra ;tice that danger
Gus and growing crime.
If this bill should become law, AMI the
people of his locality should request him to
explain its various provisions, he wouli be
Obliged to teii them that although he was q
member of the House where the bill was
reported he couldn't +, the life of him ex-
plan it IN any other way than by taking it
line By line and section by section and seeing
If IT wasn't possible to study it out in that
way.
The law presumes every man in this State,
however humble, to know the law. He had
never yet known of bill to be passed in that
House which was so comp icated, in the
] idgment of the man who proposed and al
70 ated 1t. that he roqri the Secretary of
State to inform every vo.er just what he h nj
to do. If the gentle man laughed at his ig-
uorance, and because he SAIL that he coulin
comprehend OF remember this bill, he would
refer him to page s of the bill, where he
would find a long section of Is lines with the
healing Information of VOTERS The gen
tlenlan recognized tldt the Dill was so ulin
cult of comprehension, SO intricate, so CON-
plicsted. thi, no political organization can
from one years end to another, remember
what the details are, so he provides that
" The Secretary of State in case of State
election, and the several city clerks. in case
of a city election. shall prepare full instruc-
ton for the guidance of voters at such cleo
tons.
How much simpler and better and wiser and
unrestricted for the million is this suffrage
which we have the privilege of enj o, ing at
the present time. This bill provided, if he
understood it, that every name which has
been suggested by ever party and by every
minority of 80 or more, shall be put upon the
ballot If the voter is not satisfied with any
of these half dozen or dozen candidates he is
at liberty 10 write on the ballot the names Of
his choire. Perhaps the voter has not been
accustomed to writing to any great extent
As he Law is at the present time, in the
secluslon of his own home he can take a
ballot furnished by the party or any other
piece of paper, and with plenty of time To
ascertain just how the names are written,