The Portland daily press., 1892-09-15

Dduly Cflpplou, IL lOU uoSurOyou, UHo
Republican vote would show falling
off, but the vote for Mr.. Cleaves this
year was more than 200 larger than the
vote for Mr.. Burleigh two years ago, and
more than 100 larger than the vote for
Mr.. Burleigh four years ago. 1t is per-
fectly obvious that had any considerable
part of the vote for the Republican ticket
two years ago been purchased or intimi-
dated, this year, when bribery and in
timidation were rendered practically i'm
possible, or at any rate, made more
difficult than two years ago, there would
have been falling off in the Republican
vote, and corresponding increase in the
Democratic. But no such phenomenon is
discoverable. Furthermore, if this bri-
berry and corruption which the Demo-
Gratis have been alleging for years past
had been general, as the Democrats
charged, this year the Democrats would
have made great gains in the legislature.
Many districts in this State are very
close, and if the Republicans had been
purchasing or intimidating enough vot-
ers to carry them, then this year many
of them would have gone Democratic
But the returns show no considerable
Democratic gains. Indeed it looks now
as if the Democrats would not have
any more members of the House than
two years ago. AS to county officials
throughout the State, the Democrats
have not done so well as they did two
years ago or four years ago, when accord
ing to their organs bribery and intimida-
ton were in full blast. In view of these
facts it must be apparent to everybody
that the Democratic charges of bribery
and intimidation in the past have been
absolutely groundless. Whether the
Australian system remains or the old
system is substituted, the Democrats
cannot for great many years to come
raise the cry of corruption with any
effect. The system has demonstrated
conclusively that the Republican victo-
ries in the past have been honest victo-
ries, due not to bribery and intimida-
ton, but to the belief of the people in
Republican principles and confidence in
Republican leaders and Republican Off
Gals.
Now as to the ''spite" vote which the
Republicans feared so much. The
''spite'' vote is generally directed against
an individual, and if anybody will take
the trouble to examine the returns for
the various candidates in past elections
he will find differences, and sometimes
quite large differences, in the votes for
the different candidates on the same
ticket Personal feeling towards the
candidates has always entered to some
extent into our elections. A very popu-
lar man on ticket has generally got
more votes then his associates on the
same ticket, and an unpopular man per-
sonally, or man who has given offence
to some class or faction, has generally suf-
fered more or less on account of it. An
examination of the returns this year dis
closes nothing more of that sort than has
| been frequently seen in elections under
the old system. Probably there are
some people who would "knife" secretly
who would not knife openly, but pro-
portionally there are probably as many
of those persons in one party as in the
other. There are sneaks in both par
ties, and they probably about offset one
another. At any rate there is no evil
dence that the 'spite' vote got in any
more effective work in this election than
it has in many elections where the vot-
ing was under the old system.
Another allegation against the Aus
tralian ballot made when it was under
discussion was that it would hurt prohi-
bition. 1t was argued that the moral
sentiment of the community kept people
voting for prohibition who really were
opposed to it and would vote against it
if they could do SO secretly. This
alleged condition had much to do with
the Democratic confidence. that there
would be large increase in the Demo-
cratic representation in the next House
of Representatives This fear has been
shown to be groundless. Voting secretly
the people have sustained prohibition
just as strongly as they did when voting
openly. In all probability there will be
no more Democrats in the next legisla-
ture than in the last one. Itmay be con-
tended that Sheriff Grants majority
would not have been cut down to SO great
an extent under an open ballot, but a
very effective reply to that is that some
years ago sheriff who vigorously en-
forced the law in Penobscot county not
only had his majority cut down but COM
pletely destroyed under the old system
of voting, though his party had large
majority. It is no new thing for Port
land to express disapprobation with the
vigorous enforcement of the prohibitory
law.
The only deleterious effect the Aus
tralian ballot has had, if it has had any,
| is to reduce the VOTE There was proba-
bly, timidity on the part of some people
to try the new system, which kept them
i L