Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-25
A REFORMED BALLOT
On the Strict Australian Plan Will
Hereafter Prevail in Maine.
THE END OF A LONG, HARD FIGHT.
Republicans Divided as to the Advisable
ity of the Move.
SURE OF THE GOVERNORS SIGNATURE
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE prsPArcH.:


AUGUSTA, Me, March 24-Maine'.
next election will be held under the Aus.
tralian ballot system, pure and simple. ap'
plying to every city, town and village. The
| final struggle was in the House to-day. and
was both bitter and exciting. The oppo,
nents of the bill accused the newspapers OF
bulldoziug and high State officials of using
their influence to get the bill passed.
Pretty strong language was employed
by Messrs. Peaks and S,earns and
replied to by Representative Savage in an
eloquent speech which elected great ap'
plause from the immense audience. After
the vote was taken, resulting in favor
of the bill, deafening applause lasted two
minutes.
In the last State Convention the Demo
Gratis adopted a resolution favoring such a
law. and the Republicans hedged by favor
ing ballot reform without specifications.
Governor Burleigh, in his inaugural mes
sage, before the present Legislature, came
out squarely for Australian ballot.
Tactics of the Opposition.
favor it. Joe Manley, Chairman of the
out in a newspaper article favoring it He
is postmaster of Augusta. However, the
friends of the measure noted with alarm
that all employees in the postotfice not only
refused to sign petition favoring it, but the
chief officials lobbied against it.
Then Mr.. Manley went before the com.
mittee and proposed to amend the bill SO it
would only apply to cities and towns over
9, 900 inhabitants, and also to arrange party
nominees in separate columns, so that only
one mark would be required. Finally in
dications led people to believe that one
wing at least of the Republicans as repre-
sented by their leaders, was opposed to this
ballot reform.
Democrats throughout stood by the reso-
luton adopted in their State Convention.
This was made handle of by Republican
opponents of the measure, and the party
whip was applied. The bill was called
Democratic measure. The majority of the
judiciary Committee reported to the House
the amended BILL the minority reporting
against any change in the present law.
There was tie vote on accepting the mi
nority report. The majority report was de-
feated by a close vote IN the House on
March Ii, every Democrat voting for it.
Only the Governors Signature Needed.
1t then went to the Senate, where it was
adopted March 19. 1t was there amended
so that it was the same measure originally
introduced in the House by Mr.. Clason.
The bill so amended returned to the House
and to-day was passed, 76 to &c, ten Repub-
licans changing over from the opposition.
Votes to reconsider having been defeated
in both branches the bill will now go TO the
Governor and be signed.
This has been the most discussed measure
since the war, and has excited most interest
throughout the State. Republicans who
opposed the bill say it will defeat the party
and their speeches have gone on record, and
the Democrats naturally feel pleased at the
result. A great deal of bitterness has been
manifested by its opponents, but they were
forced to succumb by large and increasing
popular sentiment expressed through petit
tions and resolutions.
Leading Democrats believe that the bitter
opposition coming from many Republican
politicians will iniur that party at the next
State election. Labor organizations have
earnestly worked for the bill, and threats
have been made that its opponents will
never get their vote.