Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-03-01
BALLOT REFORM.

Jrdgt James G. Mcguire, of San Francisco.
last Ling addressed the Committees on Elec-
tions of 9th houses oi the Legislature in the
interest ef what is known as the ballot-reform
bill. Senator Crandall presided Judge Ma
guire said that there were several evils under
mining our election system, which must he met
by all right-thinking citizens irrespective of
party, sooner or later or else we would find our
selves launched in whirlpool of political cor
ruptiom from which it might be almost impos-
sible TO recover ourselves. Some years ago, in
this State; the custom OF buying and selling
votes in the interest of candidates wss un-
known; but recently the crime had become
notorious. People in the East have been
brought face to face with this monstrous evil,
taken to prot ct the purity of the
baliot-hox. In San Francisco and other
parts of the State we have what is known as a
FLOATING class" who are simply carrion for the
what are known as boarding-houses, and on
election occasions make it a point to sell them
selves to tue political bosses. These crimes
against the State must be met, and how to meet
them is the question. What can the legislative
body Go TO revent man from selling his vote ?
What caa be done to prevent the
tmdatiep and Ina' voss oaeycon HOW can tbs in
voter by his employer be prohibited? There are
matters which stare Republicans and Demo-
Gratis alike in the lace. Are we ready to meet
right-thinking man, he said. that the laws now
in operation do not protect the purity of our
elective system. The restrictions of the law
which were intended to promote the liberty OF
the voter, are dead letter. In San Pran.
cisco, he charged, men are driven to
the polls and voted like SO many cattle
AS the matter now stands there is no way by
which we can prevent the hired voter from put
ting in his vote. The passage of the bill now
before the houses, he believed, viii give us an
absolute secret system and prevent any boss
from voting his hired cattle" This system
places all candidates besore the people ON equal
footing and crushes boss rule out of existence
To-day man cannot get a Nomination at the
hands of either party unless he bows to the will
of the bosses.
senator Crandall st this point asked the
speaker il the bill went back to the fountain
head and protected the primaries?
Judge Mcguire replied that it threw as
strong safeguard around the primaries as
around any other election. He said that in San
Francisco there was no punishment for these
crimes, because of boss domination over certain
officials 1t is the same with some of the tri
hunals, and even Grand Juries are sometimes
paeked" by the same influence The Federal
Courts are the chief resources left he thought
through which to punish crimes against The
election laws, but these (ourts reach only
those offenses committed at Congressional
elections, as they have no jurisdiction over any
other election Ii is not a matter of Democracy
or Republcanism, he said, with the bosses. it Is
spoils. Their motive is plunder and power.
By the latter they protect their hirelings in the
violation Of the election laws. The Judge, con-
tinuing, said that this system proposed to be
adopted would greatly reduce the expenses to