Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-05
is the most positive and effectyal alIv

is the most positive and effectual ally
of the corruprionist
! This trick which l have just explain
ed is what is termed the Tasmania
/ dodge. SO termed because it was first
| practiceG in the Province of Tasmania,
| Ill Australia; and when the authorities
/ found out that the Australian system
| Was entirely nullified, -that under this
| closed booth corruption was practically
more than before. then that part of
| the law was repealed. and the open
| booth was substituted: and so every
where in continental Europe, in Aus
| traia. in Great Britain. in ireland, and
| wherever the Australian system in it's
| purity regulates elections, they have
an open booth; and so the open booth,
rather than the closed booth, is part
| of the Massachusetts system.
l may be asked: How can the pur-
| chaser obtain an official ballot? Now,
| Of course. | cannot, Gentlemen of the
| Senate, speak from personal knowl-
edge, because / have had no personal
! experience in matters of this kind: but
, | think I can demonstrate to your
satisfaction that in some way or other
| the official ballot is secured MY
iIltHu, lile SplldlDI from tJX1OrQ, was
a member of the contested Senatorial
election two years ago in which
| Senators Heselton and Reardon were
the contestants. He tells me that it
was shown in the evidence before that
| Committee that in one of the towns of
kennebec County the Tasmania dodge
| was practiced all day. and that the
first 'ballot-that is. the first link in
the chain. was the specimen ballot
| have before me-and by the way
desire especially to call the attention
of the Senators from York County to
what | am now saying-I have before
! me letter from gentleman of York
County who had the misfortune to be
| candidate for mayor in one of the
cities of York County few years ago
In that letter he tells me that, on
the morning of the day of the election
at which he was candidate for mayor.
that the City Clerk OF that city WHO,
BY the law, prepares the ballots and
who unfortunately for him happened
to belong to the other party, very
kindly and generously and consider
ately distributed a large number of the
official ballots to the heelerS of his
party in the different wards Of that
city; and that the Tasmania dodge
was practiced by the other party all
day, the day of the election; and not
unnaturaliy, inasmuch as the margin
Of the other candidate was very small
-urder 39-he attributes his defeat to
the Tasmania dodge and to the Morey
ballot system. lnaSmuch as the Sena-
tors are all in favor Of pure and honest
elections: inasmuch as they are OPP
posed to any device which makes
bribery easy and possible, l desire
especially here to allude 20 my
colleague. Senator Baxter, and to the
Senator from Oxfcrd. now that they
know what the effect of this Morey
ballot law has been, both in theory and
practice.-I know. as honest men, that
they will vote for the repeal of the law,
although the present system has regu-
lated our elections since 1898, the
voters of Maine have not yet fathomed
it's mysteries, have not yet learned how
to vote under it. This is shown by
the infinite number of defective ballots
thrown at every election and the
thousands of voters who are disfran-
chised because of those defective
ballots. Before the contested Sena-
.oiidi Eiection committee or this
Senate, two years ago, the evidence
showed that over 400 ballots were
thrown in Kennebec County which
were totally defective. In other
words, 1-3eo of the votes thrown were
thrown out: that is to say, on account
OF this ballot at the election in Kenne-
ben County in 1906 over 400 voters
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