Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-05

upon each candidate, it is impossible
the names being near together-to as
certain for which candidate the voter
votes. And because the>names are ar
ranged along the official ballot, it is
Impossible 20 ascertain whether thu
voter is voting q straight ticket or not
I hazard the assertion that bribery
and the corrupt use of money are mos
employed and used at the present
time at elections than before the Maine
system was enacted This, j confess,
is not "a very congenial subject; and
justice to the subject-to the princi-
pie for which l am contending-alone
Justifies its discussion. What would
be revealed if the truth were told. if
the lid was taken OFF and this tree ..
Sodom vas shaken, I leave for othars
to determine; but of one thing | am
certain, that the Maine system has no
terrors for the corruptionist. 1t is to
him what the flowing locks were to
Samson, the source of his strength.
CnGer TIE present system it can be
readily determined by the length Of
time that voter remains in a booth
whether he is voting the straight tick
ct or not: and if, after emerging from
the booth, he holds up his ballot, it
can Ge readily determined by observing
the outlines of the mark for which par
ty he has voted.
The warden of one of the largest
wards in the City of Portland told me
mat he could readily tell in this way
how twothrls Of the voters were
throwing their ballots.
/ think that will admit N
sticker has become an intolerab bic nui-
sance.-that it neceSsitates at the polls
the cmployment-that is in the large
cities,-l do not know how it is in
country places-of hordes of idlers.
time servers. healers and bummers who
iniest the polling places on the day of
election. The ssachusetts system
entirely eliminates the sticker. In
1895, the sO-called Morey ballot booth
law was enacted. BY the terms of
that law any city or town at an cleo
ton especially called for the purpose,
could determine whether the doors
should he placed upon the booths be-
hind which the voter could prepare his
ballot with perfect security Senate
Document No. 2S6 provides for the re
peal of that law. You will naturally
ask, why? And with your permission
l will try to explain The Morey booth
law was intended to promote honest
and fair elections. That it was design
ed to prevent bribery | cheerfully adj
nit. That, in practice as well as in
theory, it has had an exactly opposite
effect l think l can show to the salts
faction of the Senate.
In every bargain for bribery there
are two parties, the purchaser and the
purchased. the briber and the bribee,
the corruptionist and his victim. The
meat or the quick of the ulcer is for
the corruptionist to ascertain how the
venal voter votes. Now let us imagine
which l will show you is not very
imaginary after all.-that the pur-
chaser has secured an official ballot;
he says to the venal voter: here is a
ballot which l have prepared and
Which l desire to have deposted-vot-
ed; if you vote this ballot / will give
you such and such a sum of money.
the venal voter takes the ballot thus
marked and thus prepared and places
it in his inside pocket. proceeds to the
polling place ard passes behind the
rail. He receives another ballot from
the ballot clerk. Then he proceeds into
the polling place, effectually concealed
by the Morey door: and there substi-
tutes,-because he is entirely concealed.
he substitutes the marked ballot or
prepared ballot which he received from
the purchaser for the unmarked bal
lot which he received from the ballot
clerk. Then he energies from the Mo-
rey booth; steps up to the ballot box
and deposits in the ballot box-not the
ballot which he has received from the
ballot clerk-but the prepared ballot
which he received from the purchaser.
Then he leaves the polling place and,
at the rendezvous, gives to the pur-
chaser the ballot unmarked and unpre-
pared which he received from the bal
let clerk. Thus the first link in the
chain of corruption in forged Thus
you see that the Morey booth furnish
es positive. abs iute and certain proof
that the bargain between him and the
purchaser has been carried out,-that
the goods have been delivered. In
other words, the Morey election booth