Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-11

for the man you select for that office.
You cannot spoil your ballot. There
is no cross at the top Of the ballot en-
dorsing the party. taking everything.
You simply take your ballot ana
your pencil into the booth and
go down the list of names and select
the candidates that you select and
that you think are the names of the
men who will do the best for the pub
lie good. You mark it, and that Is your
ballot. 1t is the simplest thing IN All
the world. 1t is what the American
citizen should have and nothing else.
1t is the Massachusetts ballot-it is
the Australian ballot. While we nave
what is called the Australian ballot
this is the real Australian ballot. We
ought to have had it years ago instead
OF the one we have at the present time.
Every state in the Union has got the
Massachusetts ballot with the excepT
ton of West Virginia and North and
South Carolina. Kansas week ago
adopted it as it is today. and the ques-
ton is after all these states nave
adopted the Massachusetts ballot shall
we not give a few moments to the con-
siieration of it.
Now. gentlemen. it appeared in the
Senate in the discussion of this matter
from the best authority that conserv-
alive estimate in the last election IN
the state of Maine that there were
$4,000 defective ballots. I understand
from Senator Looney of Cumberland
that the people of the city of Portland
in their city affairs, in their city cleo
tions have adopted the Massachu-
sets ballot. and they approve of It,
and approve. of it SO much that they
have instructed their delegation from
Portland in this Legislature to vote
for this ballot So 1 say. gentlemen, If
it is a good thing for the city of Port
land it must be a good thing for the
state of Maine. In the discussion In
the Senate in regard to this matter
wish to call the attention of the House
to one remark made by Senator
Looney He said:
"Some time before the Legislature
convened, l had an interview with the
assistant secretary of state of Massa-
chusetts, who is the ballot expert of
that state, and the chairman of the
election commission of the city of Bos-
ton. Both OF those gentlemen assured
ne that not only was the Massachu-
sets system acceptable to the people
of that state but that the people were
heartily and enthusiastically in favor
of it. Both of them told me that rarely,
if ever, do they hear of a ballot thrown
which is totally defective and very
rarely, although sometimes, a ballot is
thrown which is partially defective.
Mr.. MinOugh, the chairman of the
election commission of the city Of Bos-
ton, told me that, at the last state
election in Massachusetts, in the city
of Boston 10000 ballots We're cast and
that among that 100000 ballots thrown
not one was entirely detective; and he
said he did not know of any that were
partially defective.
Senator Boynton of Lincoln. in that
discussion said: 1T was in 1902. that
the Australian ballot was adopted by
Massachusetts, and at that time it was
my privilege to be a member of that
state and for several years thereafter
to vote with this system of ballot;
and wish to say that it has given to
the citizens of Massachusetts a sys-
tenn which is to them entirely sat
sfactpry. If you should take ballot
tomorrow in that state as to whether
or not that ballot should be repeal led.
not one man in 200 would vote to have
it repealed or to have any other sys-
tenn substituted for it. It has done
many things-among others, it has
doae away with the corrupt practice of
the purchase of votes. for there the
goods cannot. under that system. be
delivered; and there are many other
reasons for retaining it which I VIII
not stop to bother you with. l will say
that if the State of Maine, bv this
Legislature. should now adopt this sys-
TEN and repeal the one we have. 1t VIII
be a long step in the right direction, in
my opinion"
Now, this is not Il political question
at all There cannot be d single argyll
ment it seems to me worthy of our at
tention urged against the Massachu-
sets ballot. It's simplicity is far be-
yond that of the Maine ballot. and
say to you what you all know. we
have not got used to the Maine ballot
and we never can get used to 1t. But
there is Il reason against the adoption
of the Massachusetts ballot and only
one reason, and that is the reason urg-
ed by the machine politician. He
wants to have the voter vote the
straight ticket and nothing else. to
swallow and endorse everything nomi-
mated by mis- party right and left. We
might just as well be honest in the
matter: that is the reason and the only
reason against the Massachusetts bal
lot; that is the reason and the only
reason for holding the present ballot,
and that is that the present ballot
makes people vote the party ticket
straight.
Now. | say to you that If you can
have ballot that will oblige an hon
est, conscientious. patriotic American
citizen who loves his home and his
country and the best interests of his
state to go into booth and force
him to ndorse and vote for candi-
date unworthy of office and unfit for
Office and who does not indorse his
opinions and does not stand for hon.
esty and the best interests of his State
then YOU have done something which
has wronged every voter of the State
and every citizen of the State. When
you have ballot that will defeat the
oh n re nominations made