The sun., 1890-01-22
SHE hnnrR1LLlN Plan
Testimony OF Man OF Experience and
Patriotism.

| bENs BENJAMIN EIGHTH VI
JANUARY SPEECH IN BOSTON.
In the olden days everybody voted. The
men that made their mark we're encouraged &c
vote because they had generally made 1t on
the enemy OF their country. Now the noxt
step was to cay that man must read and
write before he can vote. But they never made
qualification that man to get into the army
must be able to read and write. NNever When
they come to vote as to what shall be done
with the country they saved, then comes up
| the question OF reading and writing But
| won't mako any objection TO that because II
largely deals with tho colored men at the
south; and. as flve-sixths OF them 20 to school
where one OF white men 20, / am pretty sure
where the reading and writing majority will
be found before die. II l live n little longer.
lApplause.l But what l complain Of is that
now system comes up that everybody is in
favor Of, guess. except me, and that never
makes any difference to me- [LauRhter.l II
dont think thing Ia as 1t ought to be, follow
my own judgment and my own sense Of what
is right and proper. There was brought here
from Australia. as being the nearest place
where such thing could be taught. and being
British dependency was exactly fitted for ns
uaughterL what Is called the Australian sys-
tom. Why went and voted under the Aus
traiian system, and IL was beautifuI. For me
1t was tho easiest pleasantest and most com
Portable voting had ever had since 1852,
Mark tho date. I was very glad to vote 1t.
did not know exactly how to do It when be-
gan. but after working away while had the
ability to find out, and l guess got my vote In
pretty nearly as l wanted 1t. though l was
never quite sure OF that proposition.
But have examined its results, and have
como to the conclusion that 1t is the most
II daft tbo
Ing men OF their votes that ever was invented,
and am going to say so, and don't care who
says the other way. IApplause.l And the
beautiful thing to 1t is that the Democracy,
who wore supposed to have tho laboring men
In charge and the ignorant men in charge,
and the poor men In charge and the weak mon
In charge. and the untaught men in all mat
ter OF politics in charge. went in all together
to have this Australian system. They didn't
know enough about 1t it to know exactly how
1t would work. Now. 1t works SO that al
though the mothers OF ireland shall produce
ior the next twenty years four children to one
oil Yankee mothers. as they have for the
last twenty. the city OF Boston will still re-
main Republican In the lower branch of its
Legislature Now, can make that good.
otherNheres twill operate differently. That
man ot ability, Of clear political sagacity.
secs how 1t will work In the State of
New York-David B. Hill tApplause.l And l
doubs whether the system, from his message,
as it fs now dealt with, will catch him. Very
much doubt it. l shall expect that he will
read this speech OF mine. and IL you don't re-
port 1t, | will send it to him
Now will show you how 1t has operated in
this city. Here it happens to favor Republi-
canism. but am against anything that him
ders the common man In his voting It is
shown by the results that the common man
went Into the little STALL marked the Governor
aud one or two more that he knew about
didn't know how to mark against the rest that
were there any more than did-but guessed
and he didn't-and he lost his vote for all the
rest. I will show you some figures on this
subject. In the case Of State officers we find
The total vote for Governor was 263,Ol1. For |
Governor the vote was 2576O7. |
There was falling of OF 6,000. Six thousand |
men got tired OF marking for any ybody but one. |
Don't you see it very plainly? A man went in |
md thought he had voted the whole ticket
when he had marked for Governor Then the
lext thing you have Is the Secretary of State.
The vote dropped down to 251, ,OOO. That is
1000 more gone. They thought II they voted
or two. that was as much as they ought to do.
The best instruction they ever had was to vote
vice. lLaughter.l This is the total of both
ickets that am talking about. and is taken
rom the Boston Journal and suppose it is az
orrect as 1t usually Is and no more So Then
ONES the Treasurer. and his vote was $780,
90. There is drop Of 1900 Those follows
ot tired again. Then comes tho vote OF the
luditor. whom l never heard anything for or
Rainst. which is 24946 Now comes the At
which was Just about tho same
ote. The MuRwumps made an especial thing
the Attorney o clever man and
'orthy OF everything but the support OF the
lugwumps. ILaughter.l
Now will take the voting in Boston. The
hole vote for Mayor was 57.413. Very we'll
hat is both votes for Mayor But then came
no vote for Aldermen. every Alderman In his
istrict trying his best to get the largest vote
ossible, and they only got $780, There was
loss OF 1000. Men came in and voted for
Iayor and thought they had done their whole
uty. and they didn't SOC anything In the list
by they had not. and nobody told them they
ad not, and SO they voted for Mayor and went
ut and didn't vote for Aldermen. There was
loss OF 2.OOO To make this story short, the
ouncilmen and School Committee fell off 5000
'tes each at an average. And we have got q
Common Council here beyond all
leston. in almost an unknown majority and
le OF the Aldermen boasted at the New Eng ,
nd dinner that he was against this system
-st. but now he was for 1t, for he knows the ,
epublicans can govern Boston so long as the ;
australian ballot system continues. And SO
low they can. have nothing to do with i,
'litics. am Democrat; l am Republi- i,
IN; am KnowNothing; l am not q Mug
ump. because they are no politicians. lap ,
ause and laughter.l And SEQ l have been .,
'minated as Prohibition candidate for Gov ,,
nor; 80 that represent all shades Of opinion. !
speak as an American citizen. 1 have ,
ought these figures to your attention. No
'Wspaper (begGing your pardon. Mr. Report /
y no newspaper would do 1t. because there 4
an idea in 1t. IGreat applause and laughterl
lave taken this opportunity TO do SO In order
at this system may be exactly canvRssed. :
Let mo SEQ how 1t will work in the next I
residential CANVASS In New York. There will ]
Ill Presidential electors in that State Thera :
II be III candidates on that ticket for cleo r
RS. God help those down at the bottom. That :