The Portland daily press., 1891-03-20

was against 1t and it was thus a Democratic
measure. But. said Mr.. Powers, ours is the
responsibility for the legislation passed here.
We can originate and dictate. 1t Is not for
Us to wait to see what the Democrats are 60
ing to do and then take the opposite course.
That would make the majority here mere
opposition. 1t is the same thing which has
been the troble with the Democratic party
| for the past twenty-five years. They have
had no policy other than to walt and find out
what the Republican party proposed to do
and then do the opposite. We should find
what is right for the people of the state and
| do 1t.
Mr.. Powers said that he was born Repub-
lican and had always been one, even when,
in the elegant language of the gentleman in
the lower House, he was "mewliDg and
puking In his nurses arms" 1t had been
| said that the majority OF the Republican
party was opposed to this system. Mr.. Pow
ers denied 1t. He didn't believe that the
| gentleman who made 1t could get the creden-
| tials to back 1t up. Reference had been
made to the action of the last Republican
convention. The convention adopted resolu-
tions favoring any legislation which
would secure greater purity Of elections.
Did any gentleman undertake to say that the
Republican party was opposed to any sys-
tenn of secret voting. Was there any man in
the Senate who went upon the stump In the
last campaign and put that construction on
the Republican platform. Mr.. Powers said
1t would be time to say the Republican party
was opposed to any such system as this
when such declaration was made by the
Republicans of the state In convention.
There had been a great deal said about
bulldoZiDg and intimidating members to vote
for this bill. Mr.. Powers thought that GER
tainly as much pressure had been brought
to bear on the other side. Men who believed
in the measure had been whipped into line
against it. A prominent Republican paper
| in this state had recently said that the
minority of the party in the Legislature had
better get into time. Mr.. Powers said that
before him he saw the portraitof man who,
years ago In a crisis of national Importance.
was told he had better get into line because
| he was with the Democrats and who won
deserved distinction by paying no heed to
| the advice. This reference was to Senator
| Fessenden whose portrait hangs by the
| Presidents chair
Mr. Powers spoke also of the demand of
| the young men for their measure, ln reply to
the statement that it was wanted only by
| enthusiasts, theorists and young men. He re.
membered many other men united with
young men in asking for the measure but he
| also believed that the opinions Of young
men were entitled to respect.
Senator erindle followed in good speech
against the bill. The Senator based his op-
position to the measure chiefly on the ground
that he did not think any change In the pres
ent system was necessary. He spoke Of the
| fairness of elections held In the rural dis
| tricts of the state and thought that dwellers
| in cities where there might be more or less
corruption had that fact brought home to
them in way to lead them to believe that
what they saw was of wide extent. Sena-
tor Grindle said that no member of the legis-
lature believed tnat his seat was the result
| of any corruption in the election. 1t was a
| case of fraud In the election of some other
fellow; fraud everywhere In general but no.
where in particular. The Senator also OBJ
jected to the bill because he thought 1t would
east stigma upon the good people of the
sion of New York and Philadelphia papers
on the action of the House on this matter
and said that, speaking for country people,
he had found that they had the good sense
and education to act for themselves in these
matters, paying no heed to any such advice
from outside.
Discussion was renewed at an afternoon
session. Senator Poor Of Cumberland said
| he had not intended to make speech, and
what he did say might be somewhat dis
| iointed. He therefore asked the indulgence
| of the Senate and also of the House. Mr..
| Poor does not believe in passing the bill now
| and he gave his reasons in speech which
certainly did not appear crude or uncon-
nested. He advocated leaving the matter to
| the next legislature Subsequently, after
| the majority report of the committee had
been accepted, Mr.. Poor voted in favor of
substituting Mr.. Spears bill for that re-
| ported by the committee. He did this on the
the ground that as the Senate was to pass a
ballot bill, he preferred one applying to 1.-THE
whole state. By voting against Mr. Spears
motion he would not have been voting
| against the adoption Of the Australian sys-
tenn. The question then was simply choice
| between two methods.
| At the conclusion Of Mr.. Poor's speech.
| the vote was taken on the motion Of Mr..
| Ryder to substitute the minority for the
majority report of the judiciary committee,
the minority reporting against any bill. This
vote resulted as follows; all the members of
the Senate being present, and the friends Of
the bill voting no;
| Yeas-Messrs. Gilmore, Grindle, Mayo. Nash
| Nutting, Poor, Ryder, Smith, Thatcher, Wiloul
| 10.
Nays-Messrs Adams, Chapin, Giles, Haines
| Harper, Hunt, Libby of Andr0sc0ggn, Mallet
Mehan, Moore, Pettingill, Powers, Rogers, Sher
man Spear, Stewart, Swanton, wadlin, walton
Waren-2l.
The question then recurred upon the ac
ceptance of the majority report which was
adopted by the same vote. 81 in favor and II
against. So the minority report was reject
| ed and the majority report accepted, and thu
matter was before the Senate. Then Mr.
Spear presented general bill prepared By
him as substitute for that reported by the
committee.
Mr.. Spears's bill is, as has been said, tht
original bill. with the amendment providing
that the law shall apply only to towns o
over 1000 inhabitants stricken out.
Mr.. Spear then spoke at considerabl,
length in reply to statements made by Sena
tor Grindle at the forenoon session. 81,
thought nobody need feel humiliated by tn,
passage of the bill except the little coteri
of politicians who had come into the Stat
House to defeat the peoples will.
Senator Walton spoke briefly. He be
lieved that the opponents to the bill were al
honest in their position as were its friends
senator Walton explained that he was on,
of those who had favored the bill as reporte,
by the committee with the optional clans
included.
At the conclusion Of Senator Walton,s 70
marks the vote was taken upon the adm
tion of the substitute and it was carried. m
only change from the previous vote beine
that of Senator Poor, as explained above
: and the loss Of two votes from the tota
J Senators Haines and Grindle having pa;red
The result was accordingly 81 to 8. m
: bill was then read by the secretary
| and several slight changes made in the ter,
! | Then the measure was passed to be an
( | crossed under suspension of the rp,as IT.,