Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-26

for State purposes and among our
issues in our State, among all the
things which affect cur people. have
nothing to do with national issues. II
we are to progress, if we are to have
this progressive legislation to keep
ahead of the times. then we should
! have an opportunity for our people to
understand that legislation We would
| not think for moment of uniting our
municipal elections with our State
elections, for we should not have dis
, cussion of municipal issues with State
issues, and if we do not unite our mli-
nicipaI elections with state elections
because municipal matters do not af-
feet the state at large. | eeno good
I reason why we should unite State
and national elections when the is
sues are entirely different.
so far as the corruption fund which the
senator speaks of is concerned | do not
believe there is "a man here today who be-
I lieves that the corruption fund of either
party can come into the State and cor
rupt our electorate. There is a legitimate
use for money in every election. Money
can be used for conveying voters to the
polls who could not get there otherwise
4 But so far as buying votes is concerned
/ believe that day has gone by, and that
both parties would rise up against it, and
/ that the day has passed when we need
fear a corrupt electorate. The people are
opening their eyes and taking a greater
interest than ever in State issues
They tell you that the people in Septem.
Der cannot go to the polls because they
are busy with other things. do not
know how it is at Passport, but / imagine
the voters of Lincoln county were at the
| polls or perhaps my brother would not
| have been here. | have taken down the
/ results of the elections from 1854 to the
present time and it shows that quite a
number of people can get to the polls. 1t
shows that in November with hard travel
ing Notwithstanding the interest i'll fall
/ elections. there We're about 1900 less
votes cast in November than in Septem-
Der And even in the last campaign with
| the great heat of the national election
| there was ii difference of 1900 votes be-
tween the September and November cleo
lions
| In 1884 we cast for Governor l0l
votes. but We cast for President only $780,
ass votes In 1883 We cast 1889 votes for
L j
In 1892 we cast 130,202 votes for Governor
and 1887 for President. In 1896 we cast
127,516 votes for Governor and 1862 for
| President In 1900 we cast 1873 votes
for Governor and 1854 for President In
1904 We cast 131,512 votes for Governor and
81, OPS for President In IyJS we cast 142, 666
votes for Governor and JOG. SS5 votes for
President. In 1912 we cast IA. COZ votes for
Governor and 12S.eS4 votes for President.
| Now. Mr.. President in view of that
fact it seems to me that the people of
the State of Maine are interested in their
| state issues. 1t seems to me that the lack
of interest is rather in the national cleo
ton than in the State election, or there
| is only one explanation of it and that IS
that the people are so engaged that they
are not able to get 10 the polls at the No.
vember election or that the travelling is
so bad that they cannot get there.
If the fishermen along the coast are
| engaged at the time of the September
election and the woodsmen of north
| ern Maine are engaged at the time of
the November election, do not know
of any day in the year that you can
fix upon unless it be the 4th of July,
| Thanksgiving day or Christmas.
The great body of the people of the
State of Maine are interested in our
State, and the past few years has seen
| d great awakening of the people of
! the State in State issues. We are dis
| cussing them every two years. The
| automobile is an easy method of traV
Cling. The outdoor meetings bring
{ owds of people to hear both sides
q scussed. And it seems to me, Mr.
President. the nearer we get To the
| ople, with the means of travel we
lave in September. 1--WE can go TO the
! I WINS and 10 the squares of the large
cities) the better the great body of our
p ople can understand our conditions,
| ard the less need there is to fear a
| CO rrupt electorate. | do not believe
we need fear for a moment that the
! people of the State of Maine are not
satisfied with their September cleo
ton. But you and l know this, that
people go to an election and cast their
| votes for something they know nought
| about sometimes, on the referendum.
If we put this referendum into our
State, we are only once in four years
| united If the change should be made
to six years on national elections, only
! once in three elections are we united.
Certainly there is no one in Maine who
| can gainsay the fact that the first
week of September and the last week
of August are much better weeks for
| travelling than the last week in Oc-
tober and the first week in November.
certainly hope. Mr. President that
the majority report will be accepted.
The PRESIDENT: The question is
upon the motion of the Senator from
Penobscot, Mr.. Bailey. that the ma
iority report of the committee, ought
not to pass be accepted.
Mr.. BOYNTON: Mr. President.
ask for the yeas and nays. / wish to
make one statement, May l ask what
| earthly objection there can be to sub
hitting this question to the people and
letting them decide whether or not
they want il? Is there any man who
can submit one single reason? After
they have been coming here year af-
ter year and have been turned down,
what earthly reason is there that they
| should not have the right to vote on
| this question and say whether tha1, do