Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-05
Special ASSIGNMENT.

the regulation and conduct of cleo
! tions
Mr.. HERSEY of Aroostook: Mr.
President, the question pending is the
! acceptance of the report of the COM
! mittee on judiciary recommending the
! passage of Senate Document No. II,
which is the adoption of what is
| known as the Massachusetts Ballot,
! in place of the one that we now use
in cur State election. The report of
the committee is favorable, and | ask
that that report be adopted
! | feel it my duty, however, Mr..
| President, ct the present time to call
/ TO the attention of the Senate the his
! tory of this Hesitation. This bill was
first introduced into the Legislature
! of 1909. 1t went to the judiciary COM
mittee at that time, of which / was
a member and that committee report
| cd Ought not to pass with minori
| ty report Ought to pass" signed by
| two members of that committee,
Senator Looney from Portland, Cum
| berland county, and myself.
That report went to the Senate and
| there the report of the minority that
we ought to adopt the Massachusetts
! ballot, was supported \ by Senator
| Looney, and by Senator Boynton of
| Lincoln, who is now and has from
| that time to this been a member of
| this body.
The question was ably debated in
the Senate on the part of Mr.. Leoney
and on the part of Senator Boynton.
| Senator Looney sent forth the reasons
| for the adoption of the Massachusetts
| ballot and showed by an able argu-
| ment that we ought to adopt it in
| place Of the mongrel, bastard ballot
we then possessed. Senator Boynton
made an able argument at that time
| in favor of this bill. setting forth that
he had lived in Massachusetts under
the operation of this bill, and strong.
~ recommending it, and by an able
argument moved its adoption.
The Senate was Republican. IL
turned down the Massachusetts, bal
lot. 1t went to the House The
House was strongly Republican. At
that time | presented the matter on
the floor of the House for the adop-
ton of this Massachusetts ballot The
Republicans largely voted against it.
The Democrats largely supported it,
and il was defeated. Since that time.
by the course of events, the Republi-
can party have seen their mistake
that they ought not at that time to
have PLAYED politics; they ought not
at that time to have listened to the
voice of the political bosses. for at
that time the party had some politi-
cal bosses. | do not know that we are
rid of them yet And the bosses said
how can we carry elections with the
Massachusetts ballot, when a man is
voting independently for men instead
of the party?'' The bosses said this
to the Republican party: why, the
only way we can hold the State
against the Democracy is to make
men vote straight, and that is what
this ballot law was enacted for and
we must stand by it," And the Re-
publicans in the Senate and in the
House listened tonthe voice of the
bosses and turned down the Massa-
chusetts ballot. Well. tie Democrats
saw the position of things and were
not slow to to take advantage of the
republican error and so there came
the election of 1910, and the Demo-
Gratis stood for the Massachusetts bal
lot in the campaign, for ballot reform.
Tor tie adoption of the Massachusetts
ballot, and the great Democratic news
papers, the Waterville Sentinel and
the Eastern Argus. were strongly for
the Massachusetts ballot and the
adoption of it,
Well, the Republicans saw their
mistake. They said that if they were
returned to power they too would be
Tor ballot reform, and so in the cleo
ton of 1910 both parties stood for the
Massachusetts ballot and for ballot
reform
Governor Plaistcd, on the platform
and in an interview he had with the
Boston Globe, and in his message, de-
clared for ballot reform. Well, the peo-
pie took some stock then in the Dem
ocratie promises. and their word went
then, although they disapprovel of and
dld not believe in the Republican prom
ises of ballot reform. because of the act
of 1903 And the Democrats won out.
If / remember.
So we come to the Legislature of 1911.
Well. thai was Democratic Legisla-
t4re, both Houses and Senate. The
matter had been just about reversed.
and the people expected ballot reform;
the Democratic newspapers said that
the Democrats We're pledged to the
Massachusetts ballot and that they
must have it, the Governor so declared
himself. | well remember Senator
Boynton. who stood for ballot reform,
believing at that time that his party
Should adopt the Massachusetts ballot,
To carry ont the pledges of the party.
had printed large number of sample
ballots, such as | have placed on your
desks, this Notwithstanding a sample
of the ballot that would have been used
at Augusta al the State election i'll
1910 had the Massachusetts ballot been
in force for candidates al that time.
Something happened. l do not know
but it was my own fault, and yet it
was untintentional on my part at that
time. Having stood for the Massachu-
sets ballot in 1909. in the early days of
the session, / introduced this Massa-
chusetts ballot law bill in the Legisla-
ture of 1911 Wen. immediately after /
introduced that bill, the Democrats had
a caucus. 1t was not party question:
it ought not to have been a party