The Adair County news., 1905-09-20
Speech Of Hon.
]. F. montgomery
In the Constitutional Convention,
1890, in Opposition to the Report
of the Committee in Favor OF me
Secret Official Ballot in kentucky.

to consideration the aDlllCy VI
the committee who have made
this report, the ability of the
gentlemen who have advocated
it, and the fact that the current
of popular opinion seems to be
in that direction, it may be con-
sidered rather presumptious on
my part to give any views on the
subject from my stand point. |
do not want to disguise the fact
that |, myself from conviction
am opposed to a secret ballot
system. | say this in the be-
ginning, so that whatever l may
say may be understood as being
from that stand point. 1t after
over one hundred years in the
enjoyment of the rights OF free
men in this United States, we
have to confess that we are un-
able to freely and intelllgently
exercise the great right Of suffer-
age openly and boldly, then we
had as we'll confess the Republi-
can Government with us is
failure. If, after all the expert
ence we have had we are unable
to exercise the right of suffrage
without hedging ourselves about
with secrecy, and placing around
ourselves in the shape of cleo
ton officers a lot of lictors to
guard ourselves against our own
want of manhood, bravery and
intelligence, then we had better
surrender our claims to intelll-
gence, independence and the
power of self government. The
secret ballot system is not pecu-
lar to this country. 1t existed
in the ancient republics, yet they
are 40 more. | am opposed to
the principle Of secrecy in cleo
tions, or in the exercise Of any
other governmental pow er.
Such mas always been the lnstru-
ment of fraud and oppression.
| believe that ninety per cent.
of all the frauds that have ever
been perpetrated upon the rights
OF the people in regard to sui
ferage have been accomplished
through the instrumentality OF
the secret ballot. We have had
the viva Voce system in Ken
lucky since 1879, and while there
has been complaint that improp-
er means were used to procure
votes, yet there has been no
complaint that Votes/ were not
counted when given, Or that
votes that were not cast were
counted, yet under the secret
ballot system in other States,
we know that the polls IN whole
districts and States have been
falsiiede and the people roObed
Of Il cir rights. Uuder the viva
voce system, the result OF the
election depends upon the bones
ty and intelligence of the COM
munity voting, while under the
secret ballot system it necessa-
rily depends to large degree,
upon the honesty of a few cleo
ton officers. Under the viva
voce system, any person who
desires to do so can know at any
poll how the vote is cast as the
voting progresses, while unGet
the secret ballot system that
knowledge is left alone with the
election officers. When the votes
are given openly and publicly,
and recorded in the presence of
all who may desire to see and
hear, it would be almost impos-
sible for corrupt election officers
or any one else who might de-
sire to do so, to deprive the per-
sons receiving the vote of the
benefit of it. Yet under the
other system, any person might
by force or theft get possession
of the ballots before they were
counted, and in that way rob q
community of the just result OF
their ballots. Again if the elec.
ton officers were corrupt, and
the vote did not suit them, all