The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-01-20
EXTRACT FROM MESSAGE OF
GOV. FRANCIS, OF MISSOURI,
ON BALLOT REFORM
AND TRUSTS.
THE AUSTRALIAN ELECTION Law

~ 4~Ay 0AN AAI1O-
duced in ovat!ons who's operations and
effect were seriously questioned by many
conservative people. What is C mmonly
called the 4" Australian " System of voting
was adop-ed for cities OF 5 900 inhabitants
and over. In every city where the law
was applicable its operation proved highly
satisfactory, and that which was thought
TO be a dangerou. experiment has III Jved
a SOLITARY reform. A free and ulcor-
Tupted ballot is the foundation of our
institutions, and too many safeguards
cannot be thrown around it. On the 4th
careful Inspection Of the operation of the
law in one. of our large cities, with the
result that / can testify to the EXCELLENT
effects of the new system. Many, if o
ali, of the d~lSagreeable features of voting
under tie old law are done away with,
and the citizen IS ensured IN the casting
Of his ballot, complete immunity from the
annoying solicitations of hired supporters
Of the various parties or candidates. and
complete security in the selection of the
nominees for public Office that he desires
to vote for. These evils being corrected,
there is no reason now why every ciuzen
should not d scharge his duty by going to
the pills and casting a :ree bsllo.
. There are some imperfectlons IN the
law as it exists at present, to which your
attention will doubtless be called, and
viii b can be remedied without impairirg
it's good features. In this law the State
recognizes party organizations, and in
printing the ticket to be voted must
determine what names to place thereon
as party nominees. Provisions should be-
made for settling controvers es IN the
event of the disrupt n of a convention
or d~lssensions in a party which its mem
oers are unable to adjust, resultin ; IN the
presentation to the Secretary OF State, or
officers authorized to print tickets, OF two
or more candidates, each claiming TO be
the party nominee.
Demands are numerous that this JaW
should be made aoplicsble to Every C unity
in the State, and many good reasons can
re urged why i should be done, whilst
no valid objection has been presented
why it should not. Everything p )ssible
should be done to protect the citizen in
the free exercise of this pre- ious right,
and n ground should be left for the
charge that the result # an election is
not the free expression of the will of the
people.
If, in your Wi dom, you should deter
mine to require that ali party nominees
whose names are printed upon tickets
furnished by the State must be nominated
by primary elections held under the
State law, either by vote of the people
direct )r that the members composing
the convention VIII en- makes the omlna-
ton should re chosen by prim Try elections
held under the State law, l think you
would have the authority to do so. Such
a course would meet the objections
times urged to the effect that the party
nominees are not the choice OF a maj prity
Of the party. In the event that you
should enact such a law, I believeit should
be confined in it's application at pre- sent to
cities OF 5000 or more population
TRUSTS
In addressing the General assembly
two years ago, Expressed my convictions
on the subject of trusts in words which l
now repent, as ince that time my views
have not changed:
There is danger in the c~entra'izing
tendencies of business, and in the growth
of m~onopolies and trusts which tort fly
themselves by the aggregation of capital,
by the employment of large bodies of
men, and by other in luences pc mestlng
all branches Of trade and classes pf so ;iety.
Unchecked by any feeling of individual
RESPONSE ,ility, moved solely by a love Of
gain, unfettered by the luties of citizen
ship, they are enabled to perpetus @
themselves by the adoption of methods
and the use of agents which Scruple at no
means to accomplish thesr ends. The
result Is the crowdipg out of healthy COM
petition and the survival of the strongest,
which, under this process, is by no mea 8
the ftte>t. This result blunts the sensi-
bilities of the citizen, builds up and fosters
classes among the people and under nlnes
the fundamental principles upon which
| the governmental fabric is based. Several
State constitutions have wisely set forth
that p%erpetuities and monopoiies ars con-
trary to the genius of a free State, and
and should not be allowed"
Corporations were created by the State
to serve good purposes, and in many in
stances perform Offices Of public benefit
and necessary that individuals would not
or could not accomplish. It was never
intended by the founders OF our govern
ment, how ever, that corporations should
usurp or supplant ths functions of q citi
4 AChJ u AO4AONO I'LL VI pCAEOAhA 1CePOLSA
b~ilities, nor is it promotive of the com
monwealth that they should. The cor
porstion laws of Missouri are superior in
many respects to those of our sister
States, but it is claimed, and on good
grounds, that the too frequent practice of
forming private C operations for the pur-
pose of engaging in undertakings which
are proper objects for individual endeavor
is a perv, rsion of the spirit of those laws
and will result, if permitted to continue,
in great injury to the State. If the Gus
tom Of inc Jrporeting business enterprises
to the extent that it is now followed in
mercantile and other pur suits were carried
into the field of agriculture, the result
W ould be that large bodies of land would
be owned by companies and titled by
tensptry. The ownership would not then
be vested In him who cultivated the land;
the home, if preserved, would be less