Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-06-20

officials are liable to prosecution un-
der the law.
Sec. State Ball
Answers Criticism
Over Primary Ballots
Without any apparent intention to
analyze the situation regarding bal
lots for the primary election just
passed. the Press Herald in its edi-
torial this morning criticized the
Secretary Of State and attempts 10
place the responsibility upon him
principally for the condition that ex-
listed during the recent primary cleo
ton regarding shortage Of ballots,
Thus far, l have made no statement
in regard TO the primary election, or
the ballot question. but l cannot let
the statement contained in the Press
Herald so unchallenged. In the first
place, the Editor of the Press Herald
must admit that the law provides
| that the secretary of State shall send
out for the primary election sixty
ballots for every fifty cast for Gov
ernor for each party at the last gu
I bernatorial election, and l don't sup
pose that any attempt will be made
| to question the fact that this law
was complied with by the Secretary
of State. The law goes farther and
! states that IF the city. town or plan
tation clerk deems that more than
the above number of ballots may be
required by any party on account OF
! increased enrolment he shall so
certify, on or before the date for filing
| primary nomination papers, to the
( secretary of State, who shall add the
! number asked for to the number of
! primary nominating ballots sent to
that city, town or plantation" In
| this particular instance the Secre-
| tary Of State did anticipate that
some towns might need more than
| the apportionment prescribed law
and mailed on April LIST a letter to
every town clerk in the State of
Maine. calling their attention to the
| law and giving them the number of
! ballots. Republican and Democratic,
| that they were TO receive as their APP
! portionment, and asking them. If they
needed more in anticipation of an in
I crease vote, to notify the Secretary
! of State and we would furnish them
additional ballots. which we did. This
the Secretary of State was not
obliged to do, as the law places the
! responsibility upon the municipal Of
fiCers in this respect. and it was only
because the Secretary of states Of
flee desired TO do everything posi-
BILE to provide ballots for every Re
publican and every Democrat that
wished to vote at the primary that
this was done.
The total number OF Republican
ballots sent out to the cities and
! towns of this State for the primary
election was 1852 900, under the regu-
lar apportiOnment prescribed by law.
In addition to this, there We're sent
1850 additional ballots. which were
asked for by the different cities and
towns. making a total of 1850 Re
publican ballots sent 10 the cities and
towns. The total vote for Governor
on the Republican ticket at the Sep
TENDER election in 1922 was 103.71S,
which was 1867 less than the total
number OF Republican ballots sent
out for the primary. or in other
, words, the number of ballots sent out
for the primary election was in
creased 60 percent over the total vote
cast for the Republican Governor in
1922. The unofficial returns show
that al the primary Just passed
there were cast in round numbers
5000 Republican votes for the can
less than was sent out by the Secre
tary Of State. In other words. there
We're $3.50 Republican ballots that
We're forwarded to the cities and
towns that were not used. Tho
Press Herald in its editorial states
that he. meaning the Secretary of
State, should have made provision
for a very large vote. In reply to
! that statement. | beg to advise the
Editor of the Press Herald that the
Secretary of State does not make
provision for the number of bal
lots that should he sent out, and
vision is made by law, and
ask the Editor OF the Press Herald.
in view of the increase that l have
given. if he would have anticipated
that the increase in Republican votes
cast at the primary would be more
than so percent of the total Repub-
lican votes cast at the last Septem-
Der election, and if so. just what
towns he would have sent extra bal
lots 10, or how he would expect the
Secretary of state 70 know, unless
the town clerks in the several cities
and towns complied with the law and
notified him; or in other words,
would he have increased the amount
prescribed by law for every town in
the State to provide extra ballots in
probably ten towns that did actually
run short. or would he have relied
upon the law and expected the clerks
to do their duty in that respect?
The case cited in the ed
itorial, where they ran short OF ball
lots. which was the town of RAN
dolph, is somewhat different when
analyzed, and when the attempt is
made to place this responsibility up
on either the secretary Of state or
the municipal officers. The town OF
Randolph at the last September cleo
ton cast 1872 votes for the Republ-
can candidate for governor and III
votes for the Democratic candidate
making a total vote cast in that town
al the September election for both
parties Of ESQ. There was sent to
the town OF Randolph 240 Republican
ballots for the primary election just
passed. or SIS more than the total
vote for the Republican candidate
for governor at the September cleo
ton. 1922. In addition to this. the
municipal officers Of Randolph on the
morning OF the primary election
asked for and received 240 more Re-
publican ballots for the primary,
making a total Of 4s0 Republican
ballots that tie town of Randolph
received. or Ill more Republican ball
lots than were cast for both the Re-
publican and Democratic candidates
combined at the September election,
| 1922. I venture to say that nobody.
even the municipal officers. would
anticipate this condition. II was un-
precedented and unreasonable to
think that any town in this state