Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-02-12

sotal votes being from IL TO IL per cent
less than il was tso wears ago. am
oppressed 10 the original bill because II is
not Q step forvx:d. Il is step back
ward II 10 tendency ;osa,d radical
ism. and the tendency in cities st the
present ;;@s is toward conservatism IN
the ma,asemsns Of municipal affairs.
Neither pSrty can elec. an othces totsy.
from the highest office in the gift of this
coan,ry to the lowest, in community
where there il q conservative e,emsnt
hol!irg the balance OF power. You can
no: e,eci radical. Now, It's step.
ssy, is step backwards II you want
TO have = ncn-p2stisan board, here 10
. ehance in this amendment that
/ is offered by the gentleman from Auburn.
providing for board of felr. THIS IS the
Massachusetts law-t~o from each party,
ard all Ineligible 10 any elective office N
their respective cities. That will keep
them cut of politics to a certain exteat
rha. is, their vsn elections will not be in
solyed. New, gentlemen, il we are going
to change the old system let's 90 forward
and not backward.
Mr.. Harrington Of Norridgewoek-it
| seems to me the sole issue today is who
shall appoint? Shall the Governor, or the
| county commissioners or the mayor and
aldermea appoint this board: The bill
| As reported by the committee, provides that
| the mayor shall app1in. tso. one from each
| party, that the Governor of the Safe, with
ihs advice Of his executive councillors
these councillors coming from all parts Of
the State and a check upon Any uuwsr-
ranted use OF Ii, power. sppoint the other
| member About the question of ps.tizAn-
ship. The gentleman from Lewiston,
according TO hi, own story. ought to be
satisfied. Ii his opponents have given
him % per cent. of his votes, he ought
not 10 be afraid of the Republican
vote. l suppose that every man of any iu-
! telhgencs Is 10 soma extent partisan. \
man. to be good man in government
STAIRS, must be a partisan. The onls
| question is whether he goes on the line of
principle rather than prejudice. We can
| not get bosrd that will not act up IN party
! principle to some extent. The ouly les
ZION with which we are concerned is. does
t1e board as constituted give Us good re
| suits! That is the practical test, l: is
conceded on ali hsnds thst We should have
= registration bill. II is only matter OF
how it shalt be carried cut, The commit
tee has reported this bill as the most prsc-
| tic Ible. l do not think the amendment
! offered by the gentleman from Lewiston i.
! likely to give any better, fs!rer results than
the bill rep1rted by the committee. want
| you 10 consider this as men consider other
prach al questions. Politics il not a
| theory. l. is an actual thing. We
take this bill as reported by the committee
| and we try it. IL at the next Legislature il
| is found to be faulty. ie: it then be amended.
| Let Us take this bill a. reported by the
committee and pass it, and if our judgment
| is reversed at the next Legislature we viii
! fee. that at least somebody has learned
| more than we did and be salts fed with the
| results l do no, believe We sre likely to
get any better results By adopting the
amendment suggested by the gentleman
from Lewiston.
Mr.. Callahsn--I should like 10 ask the
gentleman n question. How many pe,i
TONERS are in favor of this registration bill,
or we're there any petitions that passed
through this body in favor of The registra-
lion law.
Nj. Noble of LsEisecn-I will try to
answer that. question. l believe ,hst the
demand 70, an honest registration is go
widespread that il didn't require any pcti
tons 10 be sent in here in orier to all us
| in the Intelligent discharge of our duties
1t seems to me that we have come to a
road, the different forks branching out into
| The various parts Of an unkGown cyuntry.
! The prediction made here yesterday is
becoming verified, hour by hour. II any
member of this House can tell what amend
ments and sub amendments have been Of
fe.ed to this section. what the opponents Of
of the bill! really want as the appointing
power of the board, | should like TO know
| 1t strikes me that this offering of amend
ments is al attempt to murder this bill
under the guise and mask of friendship,
and nothing else. Applause This
! is the eleventh hour. The committee have
had two important hearings on this matter.
and it has been thoroughly discussed. With
all due respect..to the amendments offered,
the bill as reported presents the fairest
provisions for the appointment Of Iceis-
trk.ion board of any bill advocated in the
state or in nee in eny stale of this country.
! We have bad them all before US. Take
this amendment offered by the gentleman
| from Auburn and place the appointing
power of This commission In the hands OF
the equity commissioners Of the various
counties OF this sIa.e. Who yer heard of
the county commissioners Of thi. state of
any county having the appointing power
OF any officer? Isn't that noble pre-
cedent. Isn't it wide departure
| from the established rules and us
/ ages. Tue gentlemen, in their desperation
! to defeat the hill have run the whole gamut
of political officers in the hope that they
may ruu upon some expsdicIt that will kill
| the bill. Side tracked On the county com
nissioners, they wanted to drag the Judges
| of our courts into the mire of party politics
! They wanted to make them members Of
| the board, whether they would or net
| That was one suggestion made here. Still
when they came 10 inquite around a little
and found out that the judicia! offices held
in the variou. municipalities we're Liable To
be trailed in the mud and mire Of party
| politics and that thu members of this House.
unfolding an honest judiciary, would never
consent to it, then they tried the county
clerks. That didn't work, and so they
traversed along until they lit Oh the board
| of couGty missioners. Take a board
! wholly Republican or wholly Democrat, are
| you going to get non-Dsrtisan, independent,
| fair appointing uts? Have you inst faith in
the Executive of the state? Does
any gentleman on this floor believe that
whoever occupies that chair will ever sp
| point an unsuitable or an interruptions or
| q mean man to be chairman Of any board !?
| The provision which calls for the appoint
ment by the city committees has been crit
| icised. and yet, we who live iD cities know
| how frequt n,ly cauci,ses are packed ard
| nominations made that are no. representa-
tive. Why, gentlemen, in every
| city of this Stale, and especially in our
manufacturing cities, there does exist not
| only in TIE revision of the check lists but
in the voting at tue polls more or less fraud
and corruption and it cannot be wiuked
gu: of sight or denied. have seen the al
! dermeD's room in the city of Lewiston,
packed ard heated and ilhsmed with bit
ter partisan raucor And hate while the
crowd was trying - get names on. Nov,
gentlemen, dc you suppose thai board Or
gained as we ask will be less fair minded
Than one organized at the option and di,t,-
ton of the mayor and aldermen or of Il e
| county commissioners? say to you, gsn-
temen, rally about this bill if you believe
10 it.
Mr. Cba1bourn Of Bidd5 ford--I now thst
10 getting up to off er any amendment to this
bill I shall be charged as an enemy OF the
bill. The gentleman who precedes me
SEEMS to be so afraid of triekery and chi
canary srd dishonesty 10 this bill that he
SCENE TO be afraid Of his own shadow.
Nov AN in favor Of the amendment o.
this bill and ! am honestly in favor of it,
and swear before God and msn that do
want to see fair registration bill pass, but
| do not believe the bill az reported by the
committee is right bill do no, believe
we have any right 10 take away the powers