The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-15

|
buy votes and 90 to church the next day. 1t
| is to kill out these Pharisees that this bill is
intended [Laughter] Concluding he said:
| "Men have come to me and asked If would
| not wait until 1t had been tried in Massachu-
setts but have said to them that Maine
never, In war or peace, was behind Massa-
ehusetts, and that she should not be now in
| this REFORM"
Mr.! Chadbourne, OF Biddetord, said that
one thing struck him very forcibly in the
very able and at times humorous speech of
the gentleman from Ellsworth. That was
the fact that he had never seen a man
Of the gentleman's education and attachments
| who tried so hard to convince a legislative
assembly that he knew so little. Laughter
"Now," said the speaker, ''if there is no
bribery and intimidation in this State, what
| thenp Granted that there is not. what then
is there in there In this bill Objectionable?
cry If there does not happen to be any now?
| But Is there a gentleman within the hearing
| OF my voice who will ask himself II there Is
no bribery In Maine; and who will then ans
wer out of the secret depths of his heart that
there is none? Ii there is let him vote No.
SIS there any man who will ask himself if
there is no intimidation in Maine; and who
will then answer out OF the secret depths OF
| his heart that there is none? If there Is let
him vote NO.
"This is not a new system. 1t has stood
the test since 1856 and where it has been
| used it has been approved.
L
seeks secrecy. Is that SO? Who are the
| men who are bribed? Not the gentlemen on
this floor. They are the men who would
just as soon cheat the man who bribes them
out money in the purchase Of votes when
they cannot tell whether or not the goods
| are delivered.
Intimidation! No intimidation lay
1 the charge at the door of no political party
1t is with great deal of hesitation that 1
am obliged to confess with regret that there
is both bribery and intimidation practiced
by both parties In our State l take pride
in the honor and glory OF Maine; and it is
Some say put it off two years." But is it
not needed now? How about ring rule?
/ We have 1t in both parties, and do not
mean to condemn it here because it exists
only because some over-sentimental men
will not take the trouble to go to the caucuses.
Now, by this system, you will increase the
size Of your ring, and bring all good citizens
into 1t. Much has been said about these
booths in ridicule by the gentleman from
| Ellsworth. No doubt they look strange and
peculiar; but we want them to look so to a
| certain class of citizens not represented on
| this floor
"The gentleman from Ellsworth ridicules
tine section about information to voters. and
says he could not 20 home and tell to his
constituents at Ellsworth what 1t means.
Now it is for this very class OF Ignorant vot-
ers as my friend from Ellsworth that these
.
He can 60 home to Ellsworth and If he will
go to the polling place a few days before
election he will find there these instructions
posted up, and il he can read, [laughterl
and think he learned before he went to col
lege to do that, he can fully inform himself
about what he says he don't know about
now. Mr.. Chadb0urne went on to answer the
objections made by Mr.. Wiswell as to details
of the bill, making some good points in favor
of the bill.
Mr.. Pattangall of Pembroke, said he
wished to say that he thought the author of
this bill never introduced anything unless
he believed in it thoroughly. he had list
ened to the argument of the gentleman from
Ellsworth. and was pleased to hear him say
that he could not understand it. "For," said
Mr. Pattangall," Il have been for years town
officer in my town, doing my duty as well as
could. But had made up my mind, that
if this bill should pass should tell them to
get some one else, for / do not think / could
understand this bill / do not deny that
there is bribery but dosnot think it carries
the elections in this State; Here are the list
merated them from King to Robie, asking If |
the House supposed they bought .their seats.
tse Then ,;ub ne p,oa asked; whence comes
1t over in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. |
And have been over there on election days, |
and they have the vilcst elections lever saw. |
Bribery aeurishes more there than in this
said he thought the elections were pure in
this State and that we did not need any re- |
form, though there were always followers |
everywhere ready to follow any new thing, Z. |
Mr.. Robie, of Gorhan, said the House had |
listened to remarks from the cities. He had |
the honor to represent an agricultural town. |
He thought that those representing such |
towns should think whether the vote was
needed at home. He did not know of
q single case Of bribery in Gorham,
but he did know that the people there
took great pride in going up and
casting a free,ballot openly and publicly. Mr..
not been aroused to the great question of po-
litical corruption. But the reform should
come in the way of arousing enlightened
public sentiment and enforcing the present
law, ana not by forcing US to 20 into little
booths to mark our ballots. The people did
not demand this change. and the legislature
should not force it upon them. Enforce the
provisions Of the present law against bribery;
enforce rieidly the imprisonment clause and
the disfranchisement clause for guilty par
ties, and the briber and the bribed will meet
their just deserts, and the purity of our elec-
tiois will be secured. Depend upon favor
able public sentiment and an appeal to the
intelligence and morality of the citizen,
| which is much better than secrecy and bal
| lot obtained at the expense of SO much Sc
| crecy and objectional detail Loud ap-
plause
| Mr.. Madigan of Houlton, said that not
| WftuStduutnB the cFlIlclSu Oh portion Oh
the press of this State, it did not seem reas'
| enable to him to conclude that because a
| man did not favor this particular measure he
did not favor electoral reform. MIR. Madigan
went on to SPEAK Of the eSS%pexty Of the
tried by Massachusetts,. He thought it
| would be best to await the result of that
change. It would be short tine to wait.
| In concluding he moved that the measure be
| referred 70 the next legislature
| Mr.. Wiswell opposed this plan, as he did
| not see that it would be Of any avail. II the
measure should be defeated, then, If any
man should come to the next legislature,
| who should want to Introduce such meas
| ure, it could be introduced anew he hoped
| the motion would not prevail.
| Mr. Hovey of Pittsfield, arose here to pre-
| sent two remonstrances from people OF Pitts
| field who thought the system would be too
| cumbersome. Mr.. Hovey went on to sec
ond the motion of the gentleman from Houl-
| ton, eulogizng on his way the people of
Pi1tsfeld Mr.. Hovey thought the measure
| a good one for some future time, and hoped
1t would be referred to the next legislature.
Mr.. Hovey's speech was applauded for its
/ patriotism.
Mr.. Manley of Augusta, then moved the
| previous question and it was voted.
Mr.. Looney moved that the question be
| taken by yeas and nays. Mr.. Wiswell sec
onded this. and the yeas and nays were or
| dered.
The vote was then taken on the motion of
1
port, those voting yea fayoring the bill and
those voting nay Opposing;
YEAs-Alden, Allen Of Mercer, Allen Qf.wel-
| lington Berry, Burnham, Chadbourne, Clason,
Cote Curtis q Paris, Curtis of Perkins, Dane.
Edgecomb, Fiske, Fox, Frees, Gordon, Gowel,
Green, Hanley,, Harrington Hutchins, Kaler,
keegan, Littlefeld, Looney, Michaqd, Pendleton,
Plummer, Poor, Purngton, Taylor Thurlow,
Tton, Whtten Of Lee, Whltten Of Portland. :.
| NAYs-Adams Of Belgrade, Adams OF
Limerick, Achorn, Barker, Bird, Bither,
Brooks, Burlegh, Cain, Carson, Chaplain. Chap
forth, y Dckey Dlngley, Doe, Dow, Eens, ,G Emer-
| French, Clifford, Glover, Goodwin, Grindle OF
Mt Desert, .Grindell Of Haiowel, Hamilton,
| Harper, Hawkins, Heald, Hichborn, Hill of Au-
gusta, Hill of Mars Hill HiDckley, Holbrook,
Hoyey ingalls, Jordan of Webster, Jordan of Wal
| than, joy, Kneeland, Lamb, Linnell, Lombard,
Mccabe, Madigan, ,Manley, Marden, Marshall,
Morse. Mnrch Nash, Nealey, New
Pattangall, Peaks, Perkins, Pottle Race,
% %Eec9rd Robie. Hobinson, Ross, Shaw. sheahan,,
Warren Of oastine, Warren Of Ss' Deer Isle, Weed,
. / yug,