The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-04-15
FOR BALLOT REFORM
The Baker Bill Passed by Penn
sylvania's Lower House.
THE DEFECTS TO BE REMEDED.

Mr.. Baker Promises That Necessary
Alterations and Amendments Will
Be Made When the Bill Reaches
the Senate The Vote on Final
Passage III to 10.
HARRISBURG, April 15.-The Baker
ballot reform bill passed third reading
in the house yesterday afternoon. 1t re-
ceived III affirmative and 10 negative
votes.
Mr.. Stewart spoke at length on the
bill. He said there was public senti-
ment in favor of ballot reform. "Both
great parties" he sald, "have pledged
themselves for it. don't believe, how
ever, that they contemplate such a
measure as this. feel morally sure
that it will pass, but l whnt to point out
some defects, in the hope that the
weakest points in the bill is the pro-
vision for the counting O.. votes. Under
the present law they are counted by
three persons, whereas the measure
under consideration provides that one
person shall do this important work. Ii
this one man is'corrupt and unscrup-
ulous he can read the ballots as he
chooses. There are three defects and
evils under the present law. They are,
first, the hiring of repeaters; second, the
alteration of figures, and third, the SUBJ
stitution Of ballots. This Baker bill
does not remedy these defects and evils"
1t VIII BE Improved.
Mr.. Baker, replying to Mr.. Stewart,
said: "No measure changing system
that has been in existence fot years can
be perfected in few days or months.
Those who prepared the bill realize that
there are defects in it that ought to be
remedied, The day has gone by, how
ever, when this can be done in the house.
Appropriation bills are now on the calen-
dar and must not be interfered with. /
will say to the house that amendments
have been prepared and they will be of
fered when the bill is considelel in the
senate. These amendments will oo7sr
all defects that have been pointed out"
Messrs. Ritter, Donohue a. d lila ,
spoke in favor of the bill. Mr.. Gillian
said: ~ will vote for this bill beca Use
/ believe elections in this commonwealth
are corrupt. Iyote for this bill in the
hope that the constitution may in the
near future be so amended that we can
have genuine ballot reform"
inc tOte on ttnai faSSage.
The vote was then taken on final pas
sage, resulting-yeas, III; nays, 161,
All of the Democrats voted faye"
The sixteen voting mo" were: Messrs.
Abrams, Beyerlein, Bunch, Ennis,
Franklin, Keyser, Kidd, Mecleary, Rie-
bel, Salter, Smith and Ware, of Phila-
delphia, and Mcssrs. Cotton, Culbertson,
Kroesen and Muchlebronner, of Allie
gheny county.
The house insisted on its non-concur-
renee in the senate amendments to the
bill reimbursing Governor Beaver for
money spent during the extraordinary
floods of 1889, and the speaker appointed
Messrs Walton, Ritter and McNeelis as
conferrees on the part of the house.
The bill repeating the local option law
Of Verona, Allegheny county, was de-
feated.
In the Senate.
In the senate Senator Showalter made
a speech in favor Of the medical exam
iners' bill. He said that a similar law
was in force now in twenty-one of the
states. Pennsylvania had become the
dumping ground for the fixtures of all
these states. The bill was not offered in
the interest of any school of medicine,
but for the good of the whole people.
lie DeleYcd that Its enactment would
prevent unskilled persons from practic-
ing medicine. The bill was then passed
without dissenting vote.
Other bills were passed finally as fol-
lows: Providing the manner for legal
arbitrations; authorizing grants and
conveyances by married women who are
trustees and confirm and validate GER
tain grants and conveyances; authoriz-
ing the qualified electors of Delaware
county at the general election to elect
one person to the Office of prothonotary
of the court of common pleas and to
elect one other person to fill the Office Of
clerk of the quarter sessions.
Chairman Robinson, of the committee
appointed to investigate the recent fail
ures Of private banking institutions,
made report of their work and sug-
gested the appointment of an examiner,
who shall have supervision over state in
stitutions as the United States examiner
has over national banks.
A bill to create banking department
embodying this feature was presented by
Senator Robinson.