Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-16

Resolve 500, in favor of maintaining
lights and buoys on upper and lower
Richardson lakes was tabled and as
signed for next Tuesday.
On motion of the same gentleman
House Resolve sos relating to naviga :
tion on Rangeley lake, was tabled and
assigned for next Tuesday.
| On motion of the same gentleman
| House Resolve 139 relating to the re-
Iforesting of waste lands was tabled and
assigned for next Tuesday.
| On motion of the same gentleman
House Resolve in favor of the town of
Buxton was laid on the table.
Mr.. CLEARWATER of Hallowell:
Mr.. Speaker. l would call the attention
of the gentleman from Augusta
| through the Chair to the fact that re-
solve in favor of the town of Buxton
Is practically identical with the resolve
in favor of an academy which has been
referred to the next Legislature This
appropriation was made simply to cor
rect a clerical error. The academy did
not receive the whole amount of the
State allowance of $500 that it should
have received.
| Mr.. WILLIAMSON: | will say that
l have no doubt that the statement is
| correct. The matter was tabled be-
cause ii was not accompanied by any
statement of facts. I would like to
| have that statement of facts printed
! and / move that it be especially as
signed for next Tuesday.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr.. STRICKLAND of Bangor: Mr..
Speaker. in order to correct what might
be wrong impression given by the
gentleman from Hallowel, l want to
state that had the resolve in favor
of Mattanawcook tabled and not re-
| ferred to the next Legislature
Mr. CLEARWATER: l will accept
| the explanation of the gentleman which
think is correct.
On motion of Mr.. Davies, House Re-
solve 267, in favor of the Central
Maine fair. was taken from the table.
Mr. Davies moved that it be referred
to the next Legislature
On motion of Mr.. Williamson the re-
solve was tabled and assigned for next
Tuesday.
Specially assigned: Bill An Act to
amend Chapter 8 of the Revised Sta
tutes. relating to the regulation and
conduct of elections.
The pending question being the adop-
tion OF either the majority report
ought not to pass" or the minority
report ought to pass"
Mr.. HERSEY of Houlton: Mr.
Speaker. | move that the minority re-
port be accepted. and upon that | wish
to speak.
The SPEAKER The gentleman
from Houlton has the floor
Mr.. HERSEY: Mr. Speaker. this
bill which is now before the House is
An Act providing for the adoption of
what is known as the Massachusetts
ballot. Ii the members of the House
will turn their attention to the speci-
men ballots placed upon your desks
this morning YOU will see before YOU
form of ballot which is a copy of what
would have been the massachusetts
ballot had it been adopted and used in
the last State election in this city ot
Augusta, Just a word here as to this
ballot iii this form. have placed be-
fore YOU this copy in order that you
OF this ballot which YOU might not be
able to get from reading the bill. The
names are all on one ballot. and there
is only one ballot. from Governor to
representative to the Legislatures: all
the officers to be voted for are placed
in groups, all the candidates for Gov
ernor in one group. auditor in another
and representative To Congress in an
other and so on. They are arranged
alphabetically in groups, Ames first
Fernald next Hunter next and Plaisted
last That varies of course according
To the first letter in the name of the
candidate. commencing with "A" and
ending with q" Opposite the name
of the candidate is his residence, and
then follows his party. and at the ex-
treme right is the square in which you
mark your ballot with a cross over
the top of the ballot it says TO vote
tor person. mark d cross Y in the
square at the right OF the party name
or political designation" And then it
says over the top of each group mark
one. mark three, mark two ac-
cordinS to which group it is.
Now it seems TO me that the human mind
form OF ballot the voters can make his own
Hot. II he can read and write he can
make his own ballot; if he cannot read or
write there are provisions of law whereby
ne can BE- assisted in making his ballot. Tn
der our present naturalization laws no per-
son can become citizen and entitled to
the ballot unless he cen read and write.
Those who are now citizens and cannot read
or write are protected by the law and
ballot can be marked by the election clerks.
so | say, Mr. Speaker, under this form OF
ballot rhe voter can make his own ballot IL
he can read or write, and if he cannot read
or write he can have the ballot made for
hlm a. he desires. Contrast this ballot with
our present ballot can see the wonder.
iul simplicity of the Massachusetts form.
Our present ballot is not one ballot but
ii Is many ballots as you have parties.
10 be sure, the parties are arranged side
by side, but each one is nevertheless separ-
ate. Over each one there is the square in
which to make the mark for the party
named. bur the voter who attempts under
the Maine ballot today TO vote anything but
straight party ticket finds himself in
volred In confusion. and more than liable