Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-02-17

motion to amend q bill. the House is
practically committee of the whole
to discuss the situation and to inform
itself for ANAL vote. The gentleman
from So. Portland (Mr. Hinckley) Is
now arguing on the adoption Of the
amendment. If the gentlemen will
| give him their attention, will ask
the gentleman from So. Portland (Mr.
Hinckley) to begin his remarks again
in order that they may be heard
Mr.. HINCKLEY: Mr.. Speaker. and
| gentlemen, T did not know that this
amendment was coming in. but this is
an sAbsentees voters bill and the mat
| ter was referred to the committee on
Judiciary. and was threshed out by
the committee and was finally report
ed unanimously by 1t, IL remember
correctely. that 1t oIught to pass in
the form as presented. The partfcu-
lar subject matter of the amendment
was presented. and argued and dis
GUESSED fully by the committee. and
the committee felt that 1t was unwise
to have this amendment adopted. This
is a radical departure in our method
of voting. The bill provides in SUBJ
stance that a person outside of city
or town on election day, by making
application to the clerk and by getting
proper endorsement on his application
from the board of registration-I will
not attempt to give the whole ma
chinery Of it-that they may have
chance, an opportunity of voting by
mail, under supervision that is consid-
cred reasonably safe. AS / say, there
is serious question even about that,
but the Judiciary committee felt that
IT was Well, perhaps. to give it trial;
but this amendment goes a step fur
Their and provides that if person is
incapacitated. Now you can see what
a wide door that opens and no weasy it
would be to get q physicians sertif-
cate to show incapacity and how easy
1T would be to perpetrate fraud in
election. l would be the last one to
try to deprive person of the right
to vote who is unable to get to the
polling place; but certainly feel that
we must throw every safeguard around
our elections. and think 1t would be
most unwise to enact such an amend
ment as this. ] am not going into the
details of this matter. You all know
the temptations: you all know the dan
| gers; if the doors are opened in these
elections matters and votes are per-
| mltted to be cast in this way. 1 tell
yoou. gentlemen, it is the most danger
Gus thing that has ever been proposed
in this State in the line of an election
law, and l certainly feel, inasmuch as
the committee on judiciary has given
|
and the gentleman from Augusta
tMr. Maher) being on that committee
knew the discuss sion that was made
that this amendment should not be
adopted by the House at this time.
| CAT this point Mr.. Cole assumed the
Chair.)
Mr. MAHER of Augusta: Mr..
Speaker and gentlemen of the House:
l did not feel it would be necessary
TO trespass upon your time at this
stage; but l will briefly state to you.
in answer to the gentleman from So.
Portland (Mr. ~Hinckley). the matters
which operate upon my mind in
the introduction of this amendment.
1t is perfectly true that he has given
you historically a correct resume OF
the history of this matter. 1t was
heard by the Judiciary committee
and 1 am divulging no secret mas
! much as the gentleman (Mr. Hinck-
ley) has adyerted to it, and all those
matters are well within the purview
of the House, did discuss this par
ticular phase of the bill.
| Now | am not particularly i'm
pressed at the outset with the prop
ositien of the absentee voter meas
ure. l can see very many reasons fol-
1t and l can see some real reasons
and other fanciful reasons perhaps
against it; but, think on the whole
that the consideration in favor OF
giving a trial to this particular
measure were very carefully weighed
by the committee, and think the
committee wisely decided that the bill
should be reported and an experiment
be made in this direction inasmuch as
it was on trial in number of states
My suggestion to the committee it did
not see fit to act upon; but by it's
| declination to act, / do not conceive
that 1 am precluded from submitting
to this House my suggestion, and by
/ SO doing I certainly intend no disre-
+, spect to the committee, and L feel
that I thereby indicate no hostility to
the bill nor any hostility to the COM
mittee by asking the House to just
see my side of the question. I may
| be in error. However, it does no
harm to suggest it.
| This bill in essence provides that
when any person for valid reasons,
which reasons are to be suggested to
| a tribunal, to wit, the board of regis
tration in the particular city, town or
place where they reside, is to be alb
sent from a town upon election day,
he may be furnished with an absen-
tees voters ballot and permitted, un-
der certain safeguards provided by
| the bill, to vote. There is no limit
| in the bill as to the distance they
F, may be from the town; there isfno
provision in the bill as to the nature
of their business; but if the board is
satisfied that they are going to be
absent and that it is a case for relief
under the abseptees voters act, they
are given an absentees voters ballot
Then they have safeguards provided
by the bill, and excellently provided
I believe. 1t is very admirable and
carefully drawn bill to accomplish
! its purpose. The absentee voter
marks his ballot and it is forwarded
to the particular place of deposit
Now there is just one single class OF
voters. that that means to relieve
namely, those who either for business