Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-03-13


on 10 go through all the ballots
thrown in my county. should 4ua<,.
That one-half Of those ballots wers .r1,t
ballots. either marked wrong or covsraa
Win stickers or pastors.
Ii there is amy man In this Stat. tho.
d knowledge about the ballot used
az last aeetion In this State, it is the
i'onoraoie L. F. Callahan of Lewiston.
loS7 state Auditor. Mr.. Callahan YOU
iIeihenoer lacked only a few hundred
Io'es OF being elected Auditor. where
'Ae mead OF the ticket on which he ran
was oefeated by come $500 votes. and
IN the recount Of all the ballots of the
state, MT Callahan tells me that he
should estimate that $500 voters los,
Iheir ballot. I received a letter from
Ain Tuesday. in which he says:
l noticed that the Committee on Ju-
olciary is to give two reports on the act
10 amend our present ballot law, to pro-
vac q system OF voting similar to the
massachusetts, Ballot Law (The Repun.
means and Progressives in favor and the
democrats opposed.) believe if the
question was submitted to the people. il
"oblo ne carried by large majority.
and there would be as many Democrats
voting Tor It as would be against it
when the State provides the ballots
1or It's voters, il should make it Dos
sioie for voters to exercise their choice
among candidates without resorting TO
stickers,
There has been considerable criticism
of the results Of our State Primary Law
because too large a share of the can
al sc
towns. ! believe this would be reunecied
largely II We had the Massachusetts
Ballot Law, where voters could snow
their disapprowal through Independent
action. This they cannot now do under
a party ticket for fear OF spelling their
ballot
Aside from the fact that the Republi-
can and Progressive platforms called
Tor this change, IL may be asked if the
voters as a whole desire it This is best
answered by the ballots cast in tae last
State election by the different parties
The inspection of the ballots In a major
lty of the counties showed the desire
of voters OF all parties for independent
voting, from a few split tickets in small
places to the hundreds in the cities.
Among about 2,50o Democratic voters il
one OF the largest cities in the State, one
III every five split his ticket, either by a
sticker or written name Who can an
swer what the number would be, in that
city alone, under the Massa chusetts
Ballot Law?
1t VIII be argued that the majority
wish to vote straight party ticket. and
that, for them, the present system is
e.ta -
upon itself to provide the ballots, those
ballots should be of such form as 10
allow every voter to exercise ais indie
pendence Of action and freedom Of
choice"
To correct some slight misunder-
standings in regard to the Massachu-
sets Ballot, ! wrote a few days ago
TO the. Secretary of State of Massa-
chusetts. Democrat. asking him to
tell me the effect of the Massachu-
sets Ballot, It's results, and how the
people Of Massachusetts considered It.
and whether they approved il, etc,
and on Tuesday of this week, l re-
ceived from him letter. which l hold
in my hand. and in which he says:
Regarding the result of the Mas
sachusetts form of ballot, you are in
formed that il has been pre- eminent
" satisfactory, so much SO that 2o3
of the 31e towns have adopted it for
town elections. Some eighteen years
ago an unsuccessful attempt was
made to have the names Of the candi-
dates printed in the party columns
Massachusetts has had this ballot
NJ n
nounced by the Secretary of the Com
Tponwealth as pre-emtnently salts
factory. and he says any attempts TO
repeal il has met with defeat.
! hold in my hand & specimen ballot
used in the last town meeting this
month at Ear Harbor. II is the same
as the Massachusetts ballot and one
by one tbs towns and cities in this
State are adopting the Massachusetts
ballot n their town and city elections.
II is the only true Australian" ballot,
and as nearly perfect as the human
mind can devise to express the will Of
the voters.
To defeat this measure at this
legislature would be not only party
perfdy. but an insult TO the intelii
EeOCe OF the people u NoANc- H.
ought to pass unanimously both
bodies. that we still may boast that
the people rule.
Under the present ballot good men
everywhere have lost their ambition
TO serve the people in political Office
There is a feeling Of disgust, dismay
and encouragement among those who
look for the best things in govern
uent. Hitherto the mother has taught
the boy at her knee that he. if faith
ful and honest and studious and dill
gent and clean, may become like the
great men of whom he reads in his
books; and the teacher takes the
bright eyed youth and tells him thaS
if he climbs the height in education
and retains the whiteness OF his soul
he too some day may be Governor Of
his state. or represent it in the Halls
Of Congress. and the youth tolls on
with midnight oil with high ambition
and noble motives and one day finds
his progress stopped by the cheap
politician. He finds that all the
teachings Of his youth have been q
dream. In practical politics he finds
there is ballot in the hands Of an
undesirable politician, who counts
learning and excellence and experience
and craftsmanship Of no account. who
~.sla %ha c1oiv,s NJ the naoplp