Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-06

MAIss LEoIsLArUM
lcsnsinssd from In psss.l

vkufS 10 tsar Rso8~t s~ss <Af~s'SS~
sosd Company.
An ses 70 incorporate the Maine State
Bar Association.
TABLED PEspIse EsososanEsr-
Bill, 90 ses 70 amend section 100 Of chap
ter Al Of the Revised Statues fslstias 10
savings bA1ks came up fsr lie third rssd
leg anf was sivra i,s third rssdias On
motioa Of Mr.. Porter Of Bangor the bill
vs4 tssisd pending liz passage 70 Be
engrosssd
ospExs ON THE DAT.
On motion Of Mr.. Haves Of Deering
bill, an act 70 amend section OF ehspfef
60 OF the Puoiie Laws OF 1881, txoied
psnairs sseoni reading, as isksa ffop
,he saals ssd recommistsd TO the committee
on isbof
AUSTRALIAN BALLOT BILL.
On mos,sn Of M. C.sssn II Gardiner.
m, ri J d mi ofiry repor's OF he judici-
sry eommntse on tns Australian b lit bill
were t.srn frora the table (Msjosisy re-
port, oBghs 70 pas; minority rep,rt, ought
rot tn pass The pending question vss on
b. Acceptance Of 'ithef OF the reports
Mr. = sxras Of Caribou moved 60 substi-
taf. The m. n rlry report Of the committee
for the msjori'y report.
Ar. -sssrns-Mf Speaker and gentle
men Of she Heu-e: | have made this
motion hat the minority report Of this
comm tie b. subsru,,d for The majority
report and therefore, Ii seeas ~ be ineam-
cent upon me. ~ 0ne OF the members Of
he minority portion Of this committee En-
aayaDce REASONS .hy this course should b.
aiken, or why !his m5tion should prevail
Nos those reasons sple1 70 me 70 be -
eiesr, so eosenT. that | may fat TO express
my self 10 this House. hut ~iii do the best
may To me 10 seems that there has been
no public mes.uts before this House this
session, nor viii there be hereafter any
public measure discussed On our hJor. that
l. tfa.sbt with so much impor. to the
people as IL this. viii 20 further
than this, gentlemen of the House,
I'D / will cay that In my judgment
no polii al or public measure has
been advocated or cortended sgainst
on the door Of this House for i've and
tssnty yesrs that equals ia importance this
question that IL nox befjrs US and il SCENE
o me hat this day which cones up ~ the
dsy Oh which this measure was TO De spec
i,lls argued and discussed Is . fitting day.
Tor asst aefcss our border q people 10 vo,iag
today, sgita'ed by the frars, the passions
AID the pr.jutic.s tina, sgitSte and ac'ust'
men when easting their vote ard appealed
to By party Leaders Just acfoss the line
| say. nap OPP e whose territory occupies
nalf con finsnt, casting theif Dsiiots undsr
lhe Australian sss,s9 while we here are
discussing tsat ~ stem, and I assert to the
Wf.aoers Of thi, Hyuse that there has never
In Kat 90
the Old time. simple system, any
thing that eolid approach in extent and
enormiry the bribery and corruption that
will be carried on in Canada today. live
..lose TO the border line 10 the State Of
Maine. know something about the slec-
tions in Canada and the manner in which
they are conducted know that party
-pirit and party strife run A. rife there ~
hey ever have here and know that under
this Australiaa system bribery 10 possible.
IL known to be possible and is prsctlced to
the extent that the people of Canada wish
to employ it Nos, SO much has that been
rue, and so easy 10 the proof in every case
that q successful candidate has practiced
bribery. that in no instance that ever
beard of when urder their peculiar ~ stem
And practice the unsuccessful cand date
has prate sted sgsinst his election.
has he seen fit, though being success
full car didasc, to remain In the race
and the contest, knowing hat he would be
un.ested. beesuss ord nsrily the proof is
" easy that bribery had been prscticed,
but pre- fets to drop he resuit of bis can
vass and election, and try it again. Nos
this is notorious, AID l have the opt ion
of one of C.nsds's most emins n; lasyers
that under the practice Of this system,
which hiss been in vogue since 1874, bri
bery has in no sense and no degree been
lesseDed But have better authority
lasn hat even. AID thar 10 contained in the
columns of the Advertiser of March the
tth. The Advertiser of all papers perhsp
has been the most zeslou, and active IL
attempting to force upon the people of
Maiur this ballot system "CanadA's big
tsb', SAYS the psler. religious pr, ju-
dice And doodle prominent factor. Lioer
ais elsimns victory Their reports from
the Proviuces shoF good maj ,rty" Now
in the article We find III. Sc words, 9Th
Conservative majority 10 not likely iu auy
event t, rrseh 20, though, with unlimited
means at their di.possl. they can convert
numbers OF electors during the last "a hou =
b. the peculiar methods familiar to Cams
dian p liticisns On the other hand the
Librrsi. sre well supplied nth mo9sy
NJ rc'er, BY means Of the pstronsg~ At hi.
dppossl. dirs cie the raising of fund of
n. sily half million dollars. Of waich
. 81 900 WASN'T to aid friends in Ontario,
where the local government. though
frirrdiv enough disposed, dare rot resort
I Mercisrs IN, thods IL isa q ting time
for the discussion ofthis dill t. day when, ss
say ~e have tefore Us al evidence Of b ~
the system worked elsewhere. Many yeas
ago il 4 nth sea island this ballot bill was
drvi-ed. Devised not for free bora Amer.
csn CIT zsns. na for ear full. thoughtful or
psuiotic m II but for the restless. the ad-
venturous. the criminal, the unstable class
es of England set lad in that
colony Of Australia, in the hope
that 1t would give to that people, com
pcsed of that class, not ~ say free, irds-
peudeut mn. but ticketofleave men,
criminals ard exiIes, . psnacea for the
evils of corruption, = bad ballot, bribery
and intimidation. Nov. that system de-
vised tbsre. was in the course Of time
transported to Canada ADD from Canada it
has spread into some of our states, and now
q Glars of men, enthusiasts. theorists. pur-
lists, yoang men in The zeal Of hrst polit-
zeal sspustions, perhaps. ask Us
to adopt this measure here. This measure
never vss intend, for free American citi-
zens, as l have stated, and ask thi. House
the qus stiou epon what reasonable ground
csn they base their claim. that We shsll
place eur neeks, il you please, under the
yoke Of q sy-tsm which has been succs %
flu, ss | contend, nov here where il has
been sufiiei, ntly long uiet This brings
us to the confederation Of the nrss question
TO which wish TO call your attention. and
that Is whe'hsf there 10 auy need Of q
secret ballot, <or. in other words, whether
or NOS the OF en- ballot II ut has been in use
in this State for more than 10 years aeeds
any Improvement, or whether any sy.te m
which ha. been devised is bet .r than
that No~ this open haiie. system,
the State Of Name hs- used a.
. district and State for mors
than . century By LIS use have
been elected TO The highest officss in this
nation men Of ability, integrity sud hoHes.
ty who were ths peers Of any men ~ho ever
served In any capacity. Uaeer this sysie M
this hail has been filed mary and many q
tine ~ith patriotic, honest men. with good
legi.lsters, careful, Thoughtful aad Candid
men. into xhse minds never once entered
the thought that they we're elected urdsr .
~ stem, q. is stated Of bribery and corrup-
ton ard saw, gentlemen Of the House,
,hsi In ms jads, msns ve should think long
and carefully ard should examine more
han the arguments Of its opponents ard Of
TIE enthusiasts before ve turn our back
upon this system. Suppose the system
be changed. Will there be any different
or better men elected to this House? Will
any man on the door Of this Fouse say that
be has been elected byssuudue uesus ani