Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-13
Total
to. elect
IN JOINT CONVENTION

acted in either branch. The roll call
showed every member of the convention
present. Lauyen NJ. Sanborn of South
Portland moved that the convention pass
over the election Of the four State off,
Gals. secretary OF State. treasurer, at
torney general and commissioner of
agriculture. and proceed to ballot for the
seven members Of the governors coun-
Gil. Senator Boynton Of Lincoln sup
ported the motion and it was passed
The reason given for the change, Mr..
Sanborn stated, was that the convention
might comply with the requirements Of
the constitution which directs that the
councillors be elected first
Senator Boynton then moved that the
convention ballot for the seven members
OF the council In the same manner in
which. it had baliotted for secretary of
State Friday, I. E., by placing a common
ballot box in front Of the Speakers
desk into which each member was to
drop his ballot as his name was called.
Senator Aaron Cole Of Elliot at once
registered a protest. He declared that
( tho law contemp1ates a secret ballot,
that the word ballot implies secrecy,
and that the members OF the convention
'4iOu'u NoiSAhCi WCIl the IuedulNS OIL IQc
change in the method Of balloting made
| Thursday He called attention to the
secrecy of the ballot by which the peo-
pie elect the legislators and then de-
manded: Shall We make one law unto
the people of the State and another unto
ourselves?" The senator said he cared
not to what party a man belonged or
what vote he might cast. but did believe
he had right to cast that vote I'M
watched, untramelled, and unhampered
| 1T is wrong and unjust he declared.
Ito have it go out through the State
! that any man had to be watched
Senator Coles speech was eloquent and
impressive: it was a fitting speech to
open the season of oratory in the legis-
lature. In closing he said that Mr.. San
born of Portland had some citations of
law to offer on the point and yielded to
him.
1t has been thought by many that the
ballot box In front of the Speakers desk
has been watched constantly to the end
that no one could vote secretly, and
Senator Cole. supported by Mr.. Sanborn
was urging the right Of every member
to the secret vote. commonly called a
ballot.
Mr.. Sanborn spoke a. length (see stem
ographic report in this issue for full text
of speeches. upon the meaning and in
tent of the word ballot. His discourse
, proved to the mind Of all that the law
is emphatic upon the point Of secrecy in
a ballot. In closing, Mr.. Sanborn said
that when the change in the method of
balloting was made Thursday he did not
: liIe 10 int IF fhnSa who
ed it; he saw no harm in the proposed
I change. But Friday morning when he
saw ballots on the table near the clerks
desk of a different size and tint from
those formerly used. different also from
/ the Republican ballot. he decided that
it would be the duty of someone to rise
and protest at the next opportunity.
! Senator Boynton followed Mr.. Sanborn
and said he thanked the gentlemen for
their support of the present method of
voting which to his mind was more secret
than the former method of passing the
! ballot box from man to man, and asked
the convention to support his motion
| What motive prompted the motion to
/ change" demanded Senator Cole. 'un-
less it was to find a member who had
strayed away from the party vote?" He
| declared he would be in favor of the
common ballot box method proposed in
| Senator Boyntons motion If the box
| could be placed behind a screen SO that
| each member could vote as he pleased
for whom he pleased He urged that the
honor of the State demanded that the
representatives of the people conform to
the requirements of the constitution
when acting in such a convention.
Senator Price Of Sagadahoc gave it as
his opinion that the common ballot box
method offered a greater degree Of secre-
cy than the former method employed and
asked that Sen. Boynton's motion be sup
| ported Mr. Perkins Of Augusta then
seconded Sen. Boynton's motion, saying
the method of halloting proposed made
for accuracy, and stated that under the
former method one man had forgotten
to vote.
| Senator Walker Of Somerset asked for
| the question and viva voce vote was
taken with which the president was not
satisfied A division of the House was
called for and the result showed IS in
favor Of the motion, So opposed. The con-
vention thereupon prepared to ballot for
| the seven members Of the Governor s
Council by the same method used Friday
morning in balloting for secretary OF
State, in accordance with Sen. Boyn-
toms motion President Hersey announc-
| ed that he was convinced that he and
Speaker Trafton were wrong in pairing
on the balloting last week. He said he
believed they should each ballot in or
der that they might comply with the Sc
cret requirement OF the ballot and. he de-
clared: Now We shall vote for whom
We please"
At 10 A. N. Today
| At 10 o'clock this morning the conven-
| ton will again be called to order and
proceed to ballot the sixth time for treas
urer of State. 1t Is impossible to pre-
dict the result Of the balloting in the
convention today. but it is probable that
the remaining three officials Of State to
| be elected will be chosen before night.
| There Is still mysterious Democrat
who ballots in a line impossible to follow
and no one seems to know what he will
do today; there are still four uncertain
Progressives who may aid the Democrats
or the Republicans as their whim in
clines them, for though one OF them
made possible the election of seven DEM
ocratic councillors and a Democratic Sec