The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-03-07

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least be one shining light to break thi
unanimity. Mr.. Drummond then read tn
names on some of the petitions received II
favor of the bill from Portland. de SAT-
that he would leave 1t to the judgment of tn,
House to determine who were the signers O
these petitions. But in order that the i'm
preston which he intended to convey should
not hang fire Mr.. Drummond said that the
| names he had read were those of Democrats
| of Wards and 4. The names were signed
to petitions asking for the repeal Of the so
called conspiracy act and for the passage O.
the Australian bill and were among those
received from various labor organizations
Mr.. Drummond declared that he was Re-
publican and, perhaps, partisan Republi.
can. He did not undertake to say that all
the Republicans In Portland were opposed
to this bill but he did say that the element
OF the Republican party which asked for Ii
Was composed OF young men who had had
little experience in political life and be-
lieved that the stories OF bribery which they
heard were true. Mr.. Drummond knew of
no prominent Portland Republican who was
in favor of the bill. He knew many promi-
nent Republicans who were opposed to 1t,
men known throughout the state as promi-
nent and wise in counsel. 1t had been said
their wishes should be needed. In answer
to this Mr.. Drumm0nd declared that he was
talking to Republicans today and told them
that be was prepared to resist these Demo-
Gratis when they came with dishonest pur-
poses to ask for measure which they be-
lieyed In their hearts fraught with evil to the
best interests of the state.
Mr.. Drummond then expressed the hope
that the House would bear with him while
he made personal explanation as to how he
was opposing this MEASURE. after the
adoption of the resolution in favor of 1t In
the convention which nominated him. To
begin With, Mr.. Drummond said that his
candidacy was aided by two OF the strongest
OF the supporters of this measure, both of
whom were his personal friends, and both
Australian system. These gentlemen were
Messrs. William FL. Lo0ney and Walter. G.
Emerson. After they had, knowing his
views in the matter. helped him to secure
his nomination, one of them, said Mr..
Drummond, snapped this resolution on the
convention in the confusion preceding the
final adjournment. and 1t was passed with
out dissenting vote. Then the gentleman
who had presented the resolution went out
and led bolt against one of the nominees
that he did not consider himself bound by
the resolution. In regard to Mr.. Clason's
statement that the newspapers of Portland
favored the system, Mr. Drumm0nd admit.
ted that the Portland Advertiser and the
PRESS had advocated the bill, but he quoted
MIR. Emerson of the Advertiser as saying,
after the resolution introduced to the Repub-
lcan State Convention by that gentle man
had failed Of passage, that in his opinion
the papers represented only the views of
their editors. and were in advance OF public
opinion.
Mr.. Drummond then predicted disaster to
the Republicans of Cumberland and York
counties should the bill become law. claim
ing that the Republicans would permanently
lose their present vestige. He also spoke at
some length, claiming that it would be i'm
possible to give all voters chance to de-
fhAfr hall In Ntn % flax.1
under the bill. He claimed that falling to do
this the bill was unconstitutional.
The House, at the conclusion of Mr.. Drum
m0nd speech, took recess until after noon,
when Mr.. Payson Of Portland, was the first
speaker, replying to the remarks of MIR.
Drummond made at the forenoon session.
Nj. Payson said that, like his colleague he
had not intended to speak upon this ques-
ton. He was in much the same position as
his colleague His colleague has intended
to speak If certaiu things were said about
the city and he had intended to speak If GER
tain things were said about the city of Port
land. SsThose things had been said. Mr.. Pay
son did not believe his colleagues course ln
voting supporting the bill a false one. He
believed that any Portland member might
vote as his conscience dictated. 1t was time
that at the county convention certain resolu-
tions were adopted. These resolutions Mr..
Payson read and also those adopted at the
convention which nominated the Republican
House. Now, said Mr.. PaysoD, as he under
stood his colleague that gentleman had said
that both sets of resolutions were similar to
the resolutions adopted at the Republican
state convention, merely favOrlng methods
tc secure purity Of the ballot. Mr. Payson
would leave it to the judgment of the House
to decide If anything could be palmer than
these resolutions to show that the Repubi
cans of Portland endorsed the Australian
system and also the Republicans Of the
county. The first statement of his colleague
was denial that a majority Of the Repub-
licans of Portland believed in this bill.
Warming up still more, he claimed that 1t
was vast majority; and going even beyond
that, he asserted that he did not know any
prominent Republican of Portland who
leave this to the judgment of the House.
He did not think that such
statements needed denial. 1t was largely
a matter of judgment but in Mr.. Payson's
opinion, the great majority of the people of
the city of Portland favored the bill. The
daily papers of the city of Portland, with
one exception and, and so far as Mr. Pays0n
knew. all the weekly papers of that city
favored the bill As a further indication of
the opinion of the people Of Portland, Mr..
Pays0n referred to the fact that at the last
election the Republican party adopted this
very system at its eaucuses. What stronger
evidence Is neededp
One thing more. The city council of Port
land has within two weeks passed res0lu-
tions in favor Of the system and directed the
city clerk to send copy of these resolutions
to each member of the delegation in the leg
islature, not as instructions as to how they
should vote, but as an intimation of the
opinion of the citizens of Portland.
Now. said Mr.. Payson, it seems to me that
this discussion has taken the form Of a mere
question OF expediency. While l believe
that such question should be discussed on
higher ground, yet want to state that
believe no better position could be taken as
party policy. The system has got to come,
and If not adopted by this legislature will be
fraud upon the Republican party. if that
will be adopted by the Democratic party.
Now, one point moro. If the time has come
when the Republican party will not take its
chances under any honest systems of elec.
tions because the Democrats party favors
1t; II the time has come when the members
of the Republican party are so childish that
they will not vote under new system, and
say th's In reference to the remarks Of the
gentleman from East Machias, then / say
let the legislature kill this bill and then kill
| the Republican party.
In closing Mr.. Payson appealed to the
membt rs OF the House to pas the bill by a
| good majority. Mr.. Payson's closing sem
tences were. loudly -applauded and this
| speech. which occupied only ten minutes in
delivery, was one OIL the best Of the day. The
III.
paragraph, was called out by story told hv
| Mr.. Haines of an old man In Massachnsetts
| who was SO opposed to the new system thai
| he would not vote for 1t.
Mr, Harrington Of Norridgewock said the
| bill should be labelled an act to break down
| party organization. 1t was a bill to placa
| men ahead of measures He did not beljeve
| that the measure was desired by the peonle
| of Maine.
| Mr.. Noble of Lewiston said that the hill,
| was one strongly endorsed by the peonia
| He believed that the case was the people We
| the politicians. He believed there existed in
| the cities of the state concerted and persis
| tent effort to bribe, intimidate and defeat thf
| people, The party should not be placad
| above the state. He did not believe that thi'
| bill would injure the Republican II il wers
| made q law. What the people wanted was !
! free, pure. untrammeled ballot.
| Mr.. Drew of Fort Fairfield, said that whar
| he came to the legislature he was undecidef
| as to what was best and right in regard ~
| this measure. He had arrived at the concIn
| sion that the secret ballot system was mo-
| needed in Maine. None of the suppoi ters ~
/ the proposed bill had said it would praven,
| bribery or intimidation, but only that !,
| would lessen the evils. He did not b9 lev,
| that such would be the case. The Operation
| of the measure In Canada had been attendef
| with unsatisfactory results.
| Judge Savage of Auburn said the mann
| bers of the legislature were convened Z,
| make new law and amend old ones whar,
| necessary, to have them conform To ths
| growing needs and necessities of societv. U,
| o-S..oI T., q. NOR nf tha hill in datan 49, A'