Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-12

act. The fellow VINO mas got used L.
the primary ballot would take hold o.
the election ballot all right There is
one othet feature of this matter that
wish to mention. The man who mark,
a straight ticket really doesn't NOR
than half vote.
| notice that measures that 81
through the House here frequently g,
through without any voting really; ant
ii seems to me that the man who votef
for the various officers should be corn
PEELED to show a little attention to thu
whole business, and that he should take
interest enough in the various officers
10 be voted for to make a cross oppo-
site the names of the men for whom h
wishes to vote. One gentleman ha!
said. If understood him correctly. thai
there were So many names on this bal.
lot. and that you had got to vote for
them all. Well, / don't vote for more
than half of them when ! vote. Voting
for all of them would be like the fellow
WHO signed all the petitions that came
to him for the purpose of helping t
select post master, when one petition
in favor of one man came to him he
would sign that, and if some one else
brought another petition in favor Of
the other fellow he would just as read
fly sign that, and it seems to me that
voting for all those names would b.
acting on the same principle.
believe this is progressive meas
ura and that it makes man disting-
uish between the people who are can
didates for office, and that t will be
more difficult to buy votes under this
new method than under the old method
This feature of the matter will no.
have much weight perhaps, becaust
they never buy votes in Maine; theE
do in Ohio some times, and the peoplf
OF New York hold up their hands in
holy horror at the IDEA of their buying
votes in Ohio, and they went into the
matter with great deal of scientiti'
research to find out What race Of peo-
rle they we're in Ohio who sold their
votes. New York journals, like tn
outlook, speculated a good deal as I
where that particular class Of peop
came from who sold their votes,
| have always been a Republican
hut 7 understand that Republicans II
New York have to have SO TO go tc
the ballot box; you cannot buy them 7
Ute the Democratic ticket, but theE
have to have $40 to vote, and that i
what defeated Stimson and elected I'll
ether fellow An analysis of the re
turns shows that, the Democratic GOV
ernor was elected and did not get a
many votes as the Democratic Govern
or who was defeated in the term De
fore. They didn't at that time hav
the ten dollar bills to induce the Re
puhlieans to go to the ballot box ana
vote. with this ballot it is a httl
more difficult to keep track OF YOU
man if YOU buy him, il he has to mark
all these separate names in these pal
lots. A distinguished man was maklnp
a political speech at one time in the
town where / live, and before he got
through he referred in a way TO a man
who was supposed to be an objection
able candidate in our party, ana ne
advised us to vote for him even though
we had To hold our noses while we did
so. We are getting by that period, and
the tendency of this ballot is in that
direction: it is like the primary ballot,
and let as have them both alike.
Mr.. DURGIN of Milo: Mr.. Speaker,
| have only a few words to say in
relation TO my position in this mat
ter; and | reserved that right in the
committee to take the position i do
with relation to this question. l am
one of those old-fashioned voters who
believe that it is no offense to vote a
straight ticket: and l believe it is bet
ter to have a ballot that makes it
10 Oh iolat rot bnr than
to vote crooked, if you have got to
have one or the other If / have
learned anything it is that we have
always had at least two parties, and
party organizations; and | believe in
parties; | believe in party organiza-
tons, and therefore / do not believe
in a ballot which will tend to disinte-
crate parties, but rather one which
will tend to amalgamate them ana
weld them together. 1t is true, as the
gentleman from Vassalboro has said,
that we have a primary ballot where
we go in and vote for candidates.; but
we have only our own party candi-
dates to vote for when we go into the
booths; we do not have a mixed bal
lot or a ballot with the names of the
candidates of the different parties; and
there we have our first struggle. The
candidates advertise themselves, the
people are notified, and the voters come
out and have an opportunity to make
their choice of whom they viii nom
mate among the candidates that are
presented. 1 say that when we have
had our struggle there, and when we
have taken part in the primary cleo
ton, and the candidates are nominal
ed, we are in honor bound to sup
port them. do not believe that l
have a right to go into primary
election and struggle for the nomina-
ton of certain candidate, and then,
because / do not happen to win out
there, turn around and go into the
booth and stab him in the back. l be-
leve that when the primary elections
close, and the candidates are noml-
mated, it is our duty then to vote FOR
our party candidates; and ! believe
that it is the duty of the Republican,
Democrat or Progressive to support
his party nominations after he has
had a chance to go in and make a
struggle to see who is nominated; and
so I oppose this change. l remember
in the last election in my town that
an aged gentleman came in, ana he