The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-01
HOW WE SHALL VOTE.
Address Of Chas. A. True Esq. on
the New System.
1T is A SIMPLE AND NOT A COM
PLICATED ARRANGEMENT.

| Duties of the Selectmen, the Town Clerk
the Ballot and Election Clerks and the
voter.-Safeguards and IPenalties.-An
Address Which All Voters and Els.
peciauy All Municipal Officers Should
Read Carefully.
At New Gloucester last evening,
Charles A. True, ESQ.,, concluded the
series of addresses which he has been
delivering in this county on the Aus
tralian system of voting. These lectures
have been directed especially to those
points in the law which municipal and
election officers need to know thoroughly
but also are instructive to the individual
| voter. Mr.. True has been accompanied
by Chairman G. Fred Murch, of the
county committee, and together they
have exemplified in each place the practi-
cal operation of voting.
| In his address
Mr.. True said:
In the beginning let me say one word
about the system which is called the
Australian system, and which with GER
| tain notifications, we are to use this fall
I think the adjective Australian, - which
is part of the title inclines our mind to
expect something foreign, complex or
strange. We shall greatly mistake if we
think to meet complicated or awkward
system. Strange indeed it is to those
who have been accustomed to the old
style of ballots. But the system has
worked readily in many of our sister
states, among a voting population more
mixed and far less intelligent than our
own, and this fact, combined with a
somewhat careful study of the Maine
Statute, gives me the utmost confidence
to believe that it will work with very
little friction among the careful, intelli-
gent Republican constituency of the
County of Cumberland. There is moth
ing impractible about it, it is thoroughly
practical; there is nothing complex
about it. it is simplicity itself; there is
nothing visionary about it, il is ordinary
common sense. If men have trouble
man, they are looking for trouble.
Simple things are difficult for some minds
to grasp. The world lived long before
men knew OF believed the law of gravi-
tation; some of our own citizens still
think that the earth is fat So, dismiss
from your minds the idea that you are to
learn hard and obscure lesson, and APP
proach it as you do the simple examples
which Immediately follow the statement
of rule in arithmetic. maintain
The System is Simple,
and after tracing the workings from the
beginning to the end, you will reach the
same conclusion. We may pass some
what quickly the parts of the law which
describe the preliminary duties of the
Sec'y of State, and the work of caucuses
and nominating conventions. The Sec
rotary of State knows his duties; the
Republicans of this County, if the Secre-
tary of State is to be trusted, have shown
thus far that they understand the duty
of nominating conventions; and because
we have no boilers among the sturdy
Republicans of this county we need no
advise about nomination papers.
So we are brought at once to the per-
son who sets the ball in motion, a some
times obscure but always important per-
sonage, the town clerk. tits the duty of
the town clerk to certify to the Secretary
of State fourteen days previous to a
State election the number Of qualified
voters in his town. The Secretary of
State then prepares for the town tao sets
of ballots, each of not less than Is for
every so and fraction of fifty voters in
the town. And If the town clerk does
his duty, three ballots land more in case
of fraction of fifty existing) will be sup
piled for each Uoter IN the toao,s. Since
no voter can use more than three ballots
by any possibility, there is no danger
that the supply OF ballots will run short
That all good people may know how
to obtain ballots, and what to do with
them after they are obtained the Secre-
tary of State prepares full instructions
for the guidance of voters, and also
causes the sections of the law which pro.
vide penalties for breach of its provisions
"a fact which need trouble no law-abid-
ing citizen-to be printed on large cards,
in large, clear type. He also causes to
be printed on tinted paper ten or more
copies of the form of the ballot provided
for each town. These are called speci-
men ballots, What is then done with
them we will see later. But the voters
may want to know the names of the can
didates to be voted for, and SO, seven
days at least previous to the day of cleo
ton, Mr.. Fessenden, the Secretary of
State, will transmit to the town clerk,
printed lists containing the names, resi-
dences, and party appelation of all candi-
dates nominated and to be voted for, SUBJ
in the form of the general bal
lots to be used; the
Clerk of the Town.
Immediately posts these lists in one or
more public places in the town.
Lest some worthy citizen who is con-
fined to his house might not see these
lists, the Secretary of State, just before
election, publishes such lists in two of
the county newspapers.
Provided with the facts furnished by
the town clerk as to the number of voters
in the town, the Secretary of State sends
the general ballots, specimen ballots and
cards of instruction, separately and at
different times, SO as to be received by
the town clerk, one set u hours, at least
previous to the day of election, and the
ntbar ca+ Of 1aast AZ hours prayiOllS To