Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-09

hss come vhsn tbs Republican party Il
To be no io5gsr the party Of progress. if the
time has come when the Republican PARTY II
| afraid to take ito chances with any Other
party under any honest syssem Of voting
II the time has come when members Of the
Republican party are 90 childish AID IN.
reasonable as to refuse 10 vote under any
o. stem that may be adopted By the party
and l cay that with reference to the sug
sesiion ,hss ~as made BY the gentleman frsm
East Mschias this morning-and IL the
Republican party must refuse 10 adops any
measure simply because the Democratic
party happen to favor il. believe the time
has come when We had better kill this bill
aud III an kill the Republican party. Ap-
pause Nov, gentlemen, let ~ not bs
deceived BY the arguments 'hN have been
made IN opposition to this bill Evers hon.
-, msthed has been resorted to by the op.
ponents OF the bill TO kill it. Now let the
friends Of the bill rally to its support, give
Ii coed msioriy in voting this afternoon,
ard let the wires convey to the people Of
this State tbs intelligence that this Legis-
isture has given them what they asked for,
[ lApplause.
Mr.. Harrington Of Norridsewock- be.
lieve that the party in power, As the Re-
publican party is today. is charged with
discretion ~ well 40 valor. do nos intend
to take the position that the Republican or
the Democratic party should act as q unit.
| leave that to every mans conscience, but
l say. gentlemen, that there are reasons
shy this bill is inexpedient. Now this bill
comes to US and to the people of this Sta'e
in very delusise way. 1t has u delusive
name. II says it il for pure ballo.-fer
reform. Under our system Of government
We vete for principles, but - look upon
i. this bill is bill for men. Nov, gentls.
men, is it net well known tha. however
good the man may be, when the principles
of the party are at stake q ma, votes for
the principles of his party? Do you not
believe that this nation Of eurs can be sus-
tanned only upon the principles thst esch
party advocstes9 Is it wrong for you or me
to vote sometimes for q man not quite
equal In ability to the man upon the
oiner ticket. knowing that the man
that We vote for stands for the
principles that We vote for? When
first came here to the Legislature To-
q,ired Of very many men, "Are you in
favor Of the Australian baliJtp" an 4 the
answer WAS often, and almost always,
"Weli, DOM know expecs we have
got to have it. II is all around. and they
seem to like it," Il that the COW cnon
thas should ovesturn a system of 10
years? This cry, l have no doubt. has
s5me element Of good in It, have no
doubt that in the cities where very large
foreign population exists tbera is an evil
that ought to be counssracted and did
believe that this bill would counteract that
AMI would cure bribery, should feel that
we ought to vote for it The pentleman
from Gardiner started out with the state
mens that be knew the burden Of proof
~ss upon the friends of this bill and goes
on to FAY "If show you that the present
system is CAPABLE Of being used frsudu-
lently, then say you are bound to vots
for this bill" Now, gentleman, does that
maintain the burden of proof? Does thst
STOW that this ballot law has ever stopped
fraud or bribery? When l s,k the people
Of New Brunswick and the people cf
Massachusetts that l meet for practical
results in This measure for by the practical
resulls of spy system shou'i Its M ssits be
tested they say, I'VE Ike it." ask,
"Does 1t stop b-ibsry?' They snswer
"Well, l do ne know as it does" ask
"D, you Set any lie ter officers under ii?"
"Well, dop't know as We do hat we like
it." "Whst do you like 1t for?' son. it
is more Quiet' admit that N election
under this ~ stem would be more q,iat and
more pleasing 70 the eye, bu, is sore ANY
less sore because it is covered with a
plaster? IL a body polite any plrer be-
cause it tvears . covering? Gay their
fruits ye shall knov them 3" Un'il the
friends of the bill show me that bribery j.
stopped in Massachusetts or in Canada, l
cay TO my friends of the Republican party
that il is an exneriment and that we should
refuse TO try doubtful experiments. We
have just passed through an age when
to be partisan ueau. to be thing that
ve ought to b. ashamed of Now, take
il that Every man who has made the history
of his c9urtsy a study Is ssti'fe1 that
under our fym of government men nust
be ittercs.ed to see the principles which
they believe il prevail, they mu.t maintsin
the psrty organiz ,'ion, and that under this
proposed system thst organiz stion must be
broken down. II the Republicsn party
has no principles which are dear to the
hesrts of t5a men Who have voted with that
psrty, then | say adopt this bill and vote
for men. bave always believed that q
man should be, under our form of govern
ment, a psrtisan--that his form Of govern.
ment could not be sustained less mon
acted strongly from party principles, aud /
cay that when the Republican and the
Democratic party sit down together for a
1--we feast one or the other is going to gel,
cheated dOn't believe that there 10 any
thing bad about msh's being
politician. "By their fruits ye
shall know them" Ifs party DOESN'T briog
forth good f'uit, then let it be condemned,
but while it puts forwsrdAsuch ven - we
have, Blame, Reed, Frye, the Hale, and
the Thousand and one other men under this
form of government, why are we to heng
our heads and ssy that the 81 stem is wrong?
As an evider ce tha. the bill is no. gen.
orally desiei we have this compromise
bill. In my opinion. If there were 4 vide
spread call for this plre ballot i. would
have been brought into this House in the
original Massachusetts style. There wou d
hsva been no need TO have any dividing of
representative distric's by its provisions,
but it would have come 10 here ae the pate
clean, simple Msssschusetts law. But the
people are not ready for il. Now, the
Lewiston Journal, I suppose, is wi.hou'
doub. in favor Of this bill. / would like TO
read two or three lines from its editorial
Of yesterday, urder The head OF
"rodsy's Canadian Mu Idle The
election in C.nsda takes pl,ce to lay
IL is hotter than ever before Voters are
imported from all parts Of the country. -
Is that pure 81 stem? ga number having
gone from Lewiston" The presumption is
,has Lewiston doesn't need them "Both
siies are spending big sums Of money" Il
that the pure ,ndition Of sffsirs in Canada
thst We are asked TO par icipsts in? Al the
close the Lewiston .,urn,l savs ,hIs
Fortunately. bribery does o. prevail to
the exert that it would under the old ballot
iysten. because Canada has the Australian
bsilo: und,r which the bribers vhb pay for
their goods can have no .x.isfsctory proof
thas they have been delivered" rne old
argument These are the facts, ge-tlsmer.
Horey is being used without stint. Voter
are bsing imported from all psrss of the
country. Now, gentlemen, shUk IL il
proper to call the attention Of the House "a
,h- aggregate signeYs of these petitions
Wbile neither you nor I vish 10 helittit
the lsb3rer Of this country vet I think we
have been accustomed to lo3k higher than
that for ststesnanship, thst we havs been
sccus,oms 4 to look to different class fol
advice, While their MOTION is lsujable
no doubt. sni psrfec.iy proper, yet IL We
are to ovsrturn this system We ough. ic
have a Stronger sentiment in favor OF il
than the ssntimsn, cf tha. class Of people
Te tum up, seotlemen. is seems to ms tbs,
I have called yonr attention 70 a suffic IN.
number Of fsc's 10 shov you, f.s', shat We
Should vote for principles rather than men
second, that 70 evi1encs has ben sdduced
that this proposed ballot will give q. bette,