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

senator. arose N ny sest, - did every
other efRy eofiesgsss b this Hoess. ard
NOT osly did ne VOC openly. but se declared
The name Of osf eanditsfa h DE hasf-
ing snd in tho peessncs Of al or
colleagues thus giving 70 he diameter Of
our vote the sfessxss ysbEcity shaa vss
possible. Wow II the open ballot u bed
ballet, let ne SIX the ssutienen Of tins
House Why il 10 that this Fsls 10 adopsed
hsfss submit thss Ii - bssed upon Wis
dom II has teen alleged. sad believe
proven, that years sgo. shen Csised S,afes
ssnarnYs we're chosen Ia . secret manner ~
. secret ballot, many Of them bougas
sssmseives into the greatest political ciIees
in tie land. snd, therefore, this provision
VS. male, plscilg as II did every nembsr
Of every Iegisis urs npon his recofd and
upsn his b. nor, and that has rot been
sbused since, e. my kaosiedse- The open
ballot. usins this ssms argument. ~.
from the members Of . Legislature
cisss dovn 10 the humblsst voter,
has . restraining inharnee IN the
prevention Of bribery and vfons. The
man, care not what his place or position
may be. Who has expressed himself - .
| member Of = eestsin paftF. - 10 fsvsr OF
certain candid tes, for days. for vseks, fof
months, perhaps for yesrs, having the
record Of . Hset me before him. it may be.
| will hesitate 1 ing vhea bis vote il suotected
t. thu scrutiny OF ali his nesshbors Aad eli
his tosuspsople before he will cast tha'
vote sgainst such candidate. He gill NOT
isy himself cpsn 90 his impasation Of being
brbed when b. knows that his neishbors
and his friends snd his tovnsmen know biz
= ~ al inn
I believe that no member on this door viii
conusdtet me ~hen say there 10 Tot to-day
any here on this earth plan where people
arr gif'ed with the frsDchise, where the
naiio, 10 cleaner or purer or more honest
than 10 the State OF Maine. That being
So. ask again Why il should be
sought to change this system that has
given Us ballot ackaovledged by the good
MN of all parties to be clean ballot for
one xhich TO say the least. 10 experimental!
FRS il is alleged BY these enthusiasts and
purists that thsre 10 bribery, n0tsithstand-
ing il 10 denied 80 when this agitation
commenced for this wonderful system, this
Austr.lisn Ballot System, two yesrs ago,
the you mn Who advocated il, tie father
Of the BILL the step father and the god
father ~ho subsequently appeared before
the judiciary committee, appeared upon the
| platform, app<arsd every y here ard said
that tbi. bill should be passed because there
10 existing in the State OF Msine . degree
OF bribery and corruption that 10 frightfu
| TO concentrate One young man, whose
temper seemed 10 get away. With his judg
meat made the assertion that In . single
city in this State so per cent Of the voteri
were purchased.
Other statements we're made that ma.
jority of voters were purchased. and thu
good old county Of York vas slandered and
msligned; that It was honey combed and
rotten with corruption. politically. So il
VS. allie ss4 <nd urged upon us that We
should pass this ballot bill because Of the
existence Of bribery and corruption. II
was alleged by the friends Of this bill thai
this was q psnaces for bribery and corrup-
,ion, snd when We asked Why they used
the old argument Of old King James the
Second. who was wont to repeat vha
he had said before and called thai
proof. And so these people repeated
again and again the statement thai
there was bribery and corruption and that
this 10 the p&nacea for it, and therefor il
ought to be adopted. And 90 this agitation
lasted for period of two years. Then We
had hearing before the judiciary COM
mittee on this matter, the adoption Of 9
| secret ballot, and before our committee
came the careful, the honorable men and
able men Of the Republican party, the men
who have the qualities Of political leader.
ship, the men who are astuse you may say
snd they pronounced their verdict unani
mously, with the exception Of the
young men Of whom I have before
spoken, that there was no bribery
ard no corruption in the State Of Maine
worth considering, and IL there were. say
they. ihe Australian ballot system would
not extirpste it, for just so long - the
human heart has evil passions, just 90 lonl
a. voters nature Is depraved aud warped
| just 20 long will sinful and wicked men
succeed 10 perverting the purpose Of any
Law Nov I say that the whole orieina
superstructure and basis upon vhich this
theory has been established has crumbled,
persisted and gone, leaving in the air thii
claim for an Australian ballot, because
| il there be no bribery to pre-
vent and no intimidation worth considering,
then l submit that there 10 no reason fol
this bill But the friends Of the bill baioa
driven from their first position. comp He'd
upon their honor to say. because they are
honest ard honorable men and know the
truth,-that there 10 no bribery in thi'
State 10 the extent claimed--tb n they e.
upon smother tack ard say that We shouit
adopt this system b,csuse it 10 in ths
trend ard add way Of progression
IF improvement and reform. Nos
| I submit 10 the gentlemen OF Thu
I kl.k oil h.
| progress backward a. progress forward
II there be no evil to correct, we need nc
progress II there be no evil, no wrong t.
remedy, we need no reform. Other schemes
hrfJre nos, othes scbemes in my time
other schemes ~ithin the memory Of all
have been forced upon the people undel
the seductive cry Of progress and improve
men;, and you can remember some Of the n
that dsrkened the land with error, covered
it with blsckness. I remember only few
years ago when sas overwhelmir ely de
seated as candidate for this House, way
back in '79. when there was the cry oil
progress and reform, and this cry was hu
the voice and u,terAnce Of the
rsnkest Kind Of heresy. error, falIacy and
~ickedness, the Greenback craze. They
said that re opposed progress IL We op
pos, d the spirit Of that heresy. II this be
progress, therefore, I oppose it, and wish
to be counted and recorded ~ opposing It
1t is progress We need not. When ou'
| friends amt that there 10 no reform need.
ed when they admit tina. there 10 no bri
berry and no corruption and We drive them
to their argument, then they say they van'
this measure passed because :he people
want il and they evidence the fact that We
have received numerous petitions in this
House Therefore they cay thai sc
mus. not oppose the people, because the
people want IT, assert, gentlemen,
Of the House tina. the people DO not want
this measure assert, as all admit 1t the
present time, that great msj orify Of the
Republican members of this House are op
posed to the messare. I assert that whole
counties in the St.e Of Msiue are Sgsin.t
it. Who Will deny it Thus We come 70
| the question Of the value Of these petitions
and a. members we'll know nothing IL
easier thsa to get signatures upon any petit
| ton. whether they voice the sentiment
Of the people or not. OF the ore hundred
and thousand voters in the State Of Maine
how many have signed these petitions
Reckon them all, IL you please discount
| nobody, count womea and children, minors
aid aliens upon these petitions and then
you have but . email fraction Of the great
silent voting msssss IF the State Of Maine
Shey say. I'VE have the petitions, which
We sre bound to respec.." Isubmit to the
M mbers Of this House that betwixt each
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