Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-17
SECRETARY OF STATE
GOES ON RECORD.
Public UtteranCGS Of Mr.. Davis Nail
Him to a Position at Variance
With the Law as to the
Number Of Ballots.


Wednesday last called attention
retary of States manifest msnterpean Of the law regulating
number of ballots to be printed for primary elections hardly
peed that the oundne of position would be promptly ynd
Gated that official himself In the article question
understanding of the position taken by Mr. Davis follows
remained for Secretary of State Davis (oe connection with
Sentinel Publishing Company rendered the printing between
the State and that Company od formulate and upon the fol
provided primary elections Mr. evidently
number upon the total vote cast BY all poea parties and on that
basis furnished at the June primaries for each Of those parties
number of ballots sufficient for all of them combined
In Fridays Sentinel reported
having said in his speech at Mechanic Falls:
with all due respect for Hon H NJ Heath whose expert
hand and powerful brain evolved the primary law and with
all respect Journal which thinks
secretary OF States judgment the necessity OF the
CURED their Interpretation shall still cling the primary law
and the Revised Statutes chapter six, section which
the only law governing the preparation of ballots and shall
feel safe Nothing which the Kennebec Lewiston Journals
Mr. Heath may read into the law to suit their political
poses will change me in this opinion The law plainly says
fifty and each fraction of fifty cast at each voting place
the preceding election State national corresponding
which be provided Fot
esefh sofss cast hedas me aefRaf sofes cast n the faa
election sohcfher they be Democratic Republican Socialist
In other words Mr. Davis attempts justify his position by quoting
Chapter blandy ignores
the language of the primary election a under which primary election
ballots printed Section 20 of that law expressly that so
be necessary for the purposes hereof Section Chapter
of the Revised Statutes made applicable primary elections and
Section goes say that said Section and all other
Revised Statutes made applicable to primary elections
they SHAH the duties of officers blanks, BALLOTS,
elections all other matters far necessary
for accomplishing purposes this understood interpret
cd though said primary election separate election for each po
zeal party making its nominations hereunder"
In words, boiled primary law expressly
that Section of Chapter of the Revised Statutes relating
the number of ballots be understood aud interpreted though
said primary election separate election for each political party MAX
ing its nominations hcreudef
of Chapter of Revised Statutes above
reads follows:
Section There shall provided for each voting place which
election be held of general ballots
submitted to the vote OF the people each OF not less than 90 for every
50 and fraction OF so votes cast in said voting place at the neat Pre-
dig election city, state national corresponding the election for
which said ballots to be provided
election mean the above quoted section
Just what section of the primary election that all
primary elections namely "a election for each political party
making its nominations herende So that determining the
Der of Republican ballots printed for primary
commanded by the law base that number upon number of
by the Republican party separately from all other parties
Davis however contends that there should be printed for each
ballots which would suffice for all If
rule sound should stand the Of the following uaon Sup
pose through accident the failure file pa
there had been Republican Democratic
this year. that only Socialist ballots could have been printed
AT the gubernatoria election that party By
LIN there should haze been printed for The primary
thing Socialist ballots should
BE- and actually printed $4,000 Socialist ballots any further
illustration needed show the absu of the Davis rule and the
easonableness of the law?
with all due respect for Mr. Davis leave the good
of readers whether lawyers lamen whether concu-
stated in Wednesdays issue is sound We there said
I'm other determine the number of primary ballots be
printed for the Republican party the number of cast by that
party the preceding gubenatoa election be ascane
less than 60 ballots two are provided
each polling place for and fraction OF votes cast BY that
And for the Democratic and Socialist parties There
not the slightest chance for plausible bubble to the meaning
of the statute
Elsewhere in this give readers the benefit of few
illustrations showing the working Of the Davis rule the hand
opposed to the LAW on the other