Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-01-22
THE PROPOSED BALLOT LAW.

drafting bill embodying the prin-
ciples of the Australian ballot sys-
tenn aud securing its enactment into
a law of this state at this session of
the Legislature. On the 20th instant
the bill was introduced in both
Oranches--by Raiey (democrat), as
senate bill 81 and by Hall (republi-
cam, as house bill 122. They are
the same as the 10000 pamphlet
copies of the bill which have been
distributed throughout the state.
{ with some more verbal corrections
and Improvements, made 10y the
executive committee of the league
The bill is likely to be defeated,
and not become a law, for the fol-
lowing reasons.
Senator Joseph Simon insists up
on amending it by tacking on to it
some provisions regulating primary
elections. He would require the
judges and clerks of primary elec
tions to be sworn, keep poll books
and tally sheets, and he would also
punish bribery and repeating as
crimes. He is not willing tn intro
duce these provisions in the form of
bill, but insists upon tacking them
on to the leagues bill as rider. In
the honse a number of Influential.
members, who may be styled the
anti-Simon faction, insist that this
shall not be done, and reiterate, If 1t
is done it will kill the bill. Some of
them argue that Mr.. Simon don't
want our Australian bill, and takes
this means to kill it, That his real
motive is not to wisely or we'll regu-
late the primaries, but that it is
covert way to greatly strengthen
himself by bringing into service his
organized and faithful Portland po
lice. That as long as the primaries
are not regulated by law, his police
are unable to interfere, except in
case Of a breach of the peace; where
as, if they could make arrests on the
pretense of bribery and repeating,
they would walk off anti-Simon
workers and leave the field clear for |
their own workers. After the object |
was accomplished the prosecutions
would be dropped. Thus the fac
ton controlling the police force
would, virtually control the prI-
maries, and thus the conventions
and thus the party nominations
The same police force could be EN-
ployed on occasion TO help his
Bellinger-Goldsmith faction at the
democratic primaries, and thus
control the democratic nOmi.
nations. Between the two he
would be as strong under the
Australian system as he is un-
der the present system. They
say; leave the primaries alone.
They are party affair. tits strange
it was never discovered until now
they were wrong or needed regula
ting by law"
Thus, between these factions, our
Australian bill is likely to be torn to
pieces.
What do the Federated Trades
unions in Portland want done, and
what have they to say on this sub
ject? Have they no longer any
need for a simple, inexpensive way
of making nominations and printing
and distributing ballots ? Have
they lost interest In a compulsory
secret ballot?
Likewise the oranges all over the
state? Have they concluded to go
out of politics?
Likewise all the business men |
who enrolled themselves in the Bal
lot Reform League2
What are yoH all going to do
about it7 Do you want your bill
passed, or do you wish elections to
continue to be conducted as hereto
fore ? If you want the bill drafted
by the league enacted without
amendment you must attend to the
matter now, while it is pending in
both branches of the legislature.
Mr.. Simon had enough republican
votes in caucus to make him presi-
dent, and he certainly has several
democratic votes at his command,
These will suffice to tack on riders,
or amendments, or hang up the bill
in committee. Are you all going to
stand by and see it done?
Do you think be lacks the cour-
age to do it? Did he lack courage
to virtually appoint the two circuit
court judges in Multnomah county
four years ago, or defeat the nominee
of his own party for the supreme
court ut the same election? Has he {
never beaten dill before, or repealed
a section of the charter Of the city OF
Portland? AS the law stands is he
not a police Commissioners for life?
Need a police commissioner for life
have much fear of doing anything? ?
1t simply comes down to this; II
is not reasonable to expect profess
sional politicians to want such bill
as ours. 1t would be as reasonable
as to suppose that cat would want
a bell tied round its neck, The pro-
politicians will kill this bill
as effectually as they did the one
ast session, unless the people who