The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-06-13
A CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION PROPOSED
Colonel Quay Makes Sweeping
Declaration Fo. Ballot
Reform.
HOW TO ACCOMPLISH 1T.
The Beaver Statesman Wishes the
Republican Party 90 Take n Po-
sition which VIII Insure an I'm
mediate. Opportunity for Pure
and Secret Ballot.
(specIal correspondenceO

nedfates Opportunity for Pure
and Secret Ballot.
Especial correspondence)
Harrisburg, June 12.-Col. NJ. S. Quay
has once more done exactly what his
political opponents preferred that he
would not do. He has placed his enc
mics again on the defensive. The
Beaver statesman has come out in
a sweeping public declaration in favor
of ballot reform. for personal registra-
ton in the cities, and for constitu-
tional convention to be held at the
earliest possible date, TO make such
changes In the fundamental law OF the
commonwealth as shall be deemed nee
essary to accomplish the proposed re-
forms. Since the publication of Col
Quay's utterance upon this subject the
insurgents have attempted to question
the sincerity of his position, but the
immediate and conclusive answer TO
their partisan talk lies in the fact that
Col. Quay proposes that the people
themselves shall determine the issre,
and that the solution OF the problem
of ballot reform shall not be left to
the whims of a state legislature, but
that the people shall have an opportu-
nifty TO vote upon the question and Sc
lect representatil IS who shall be
chosen for the speciai purpose Of car
rying out the reforms contemplated
COL. QUAY'S STATEMENT. S
This is what Senator Quay has TO
say over his own signature in state
ment which ne prepared at Mountville,
Lancaster county, on the farm OF his
son, Major A. G. c. Quay:
THE existing ballot law and its
amendments were favored by the
Ballot Reform association, were
supported by all political parties
were passed by a Republican legis-
lature and signed by Democratic
governor. II they are bad the re-
spOnsibility for them appears to
be pretty evenly divided. The sim
pie truth is that, so far as secrecy
of the ballot is concerned, they are
as near. an approach to the ideal
Australian ballot as can be made
by the legislature under our con-
stitution.
Taking a very low view OF IT,
the Republican party stands for a
pure ballot everywhere. In Penn
sylYania there could be no motive
on the part Of the dominant party
to encourage or permit any perver-
sion or suppression Of the popular
will. for the reason that the popu-
lar will is overwhelmingly Repub-
Iican. and its fair and full express
sion, according tc law, is all that
can be desired. Immediately after
the enactment of the baker law
and its approval by Governor Pat
tison the Republican state conyen-
tion declared that If the law should
be found insufficient TO insure fair
elections the Republican party
stood pledged TO amend the consti-
tuition so as to provide for a more
complete and satisfactory reform.
RADICAL CHANGE DEMANDED.
''The law has now been tested by
experience, and il has been shown
that great abuses are possible un-
der it. The disability clause can
not be enforced against a constitu-
tional provision authorizing
voter to take another into the
booth to attest his ticket, and this
facilitation Of vote buying and in
timidating, together with our loose
registration, constitute An election
system which does not commend
itself to the people of the state and
which has become the subject of
general complaint The system
should be radically changed. The
constitution should be so amend
ed as TO allow compulsory personal
registration in cities, and a secret
ballot which cannot be influenced
against the will Of the voter. To
this change, as already said, the
Republican party stands pledged
by its platform OF 1898.
''The amendments passed by the
last legislature, vetoed by the gov
anu II pdocCu bg
the legislature will be submitted
to the people, are subject to many
chances in the long process requir-
ed to put them in the constitution.
and especially when they are not
mandatory, but only permissive,
and must depend upon the DISPOSE
tion Of future legislatures for prop
er laws to effect the reforms which
they allow, but do not command.
They involve considerable expense.
with no certainty whatever of def
mite results, even after their adop-
tion, and the passage of many
years. 1t was probably with some
such views that the governor
sought TO arrest them, and give the
people of the commonwealth time
to consider some more practical
and effective method of reaching
the desired result.
IF this change in the election
laws of the state be really desired
by the people the sooner it is ef-
fected the better.
''If # can be accomplished quick
ly, surely and radically by q consti-
tutional eonyention-and by a con-