Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-03-27

bee, Senator Maher, has made the
matter very clear.
Mr.. HINCkLEY Of Cumberland;
air, President, having signed the
minority report Of the committee on
judiciary on this resolve and being
opposed to all resolves coming from
this same family tree, I will state
that / have no objection to this re-
solve having its preliminary readings
and arriving at the parliamentary
situation where Il may come up for
enactment the same as another re-
solve, late OF this legislature and
now demised, received at the hands
of this legislature, at which time I
shall endeavor to have this measure
reach the same result as that resolve
reached yesterday.
Mr.. MAHER: Mr.. President, If il
is perfectly now understood, will at
this time move that the rules be sus-
pended that the resolve receive its
first reading.
The motion was agreed to.
On further motions by the same
Senator the rules We're suspended
and the resolve received it's second
reading and was passed to be en-
crossed.
Mr.. MAHER: And now, Mr.. Presi-
dent, in order to additionally facili-
tate matters to the end that we all
have in Niew.-I now move that the
reslove be sent forthwith to the COM
mittee on engrossed bills.
The motion was agreed to.
Subsequently on motion by Mr..
Maher the vote was reconsidered
whereby it was voted that the re-
solve be sent forthwith to the COM
mittee on engrossed bills. and on
further motion by the same Senator
the resolve was sent forthwith to the
House.
The PRESIDENT: The Chair
lays before the Senate, s. p. 1S3,
Senate report from the committee
on State sanatoriums, reporting
ought to pass on resolve in favor
of the Northern Maine Sanatorium,
tabled pending the acceptance of the
report, and recognizes the Senator
from Aroostook, Senator Wilson.
On motion by Mr.. Wilson the re-
port of the committee was accepted.
The resolve was then tabled for
printing under the joint rules.
The PRESIDENT: The Chair
lays before the Senate S. p. 101,
Senate report from the committee on
State sanatoriums. reporting Ought
to pass" on resolve in favor of Wes-
tern Maine Sanatorium for mainten-
ance, personal services, repairs and
equipment. tabled pending the ac-
ceptance of the report, and recog-
niZeS the Senator from Aroostook,
Senator Wilson.
On motion by Mr.. Wilson the re-
port was rctabled for the purpose of
! offering an amendment.
The PRESIDENT: The Chair
lays before the Senate S. -. So, Sen
ate report from the committee on
: legal affairs, reporting ought not
to pass on bill, An Act relating to
absentee voting, tabled pending the
acceptance OF the report. and recOg-
nizes the Senator from Cumberland,
Senator Cram.
Mr.. CRAM: Mr.. President. if it is
agreeable to the Senate. | would like
to let this matter rest for a few
! moments until the return of Sena-
tor Powers, the chairman of the
committee. to act upon this matter.
! will state that Senator Powers has
just stepped out of the Senate Cham
Der. ard for tlat reason ] will move
that this matter be retabled tenn
! pOrarily.
, ! ne IlOtIbIi was dSlttu 10.
Subsequently on motion by Mr..
Cram the vote was rcconSid cred
whereby this matter was tabled tenn
porarily.
Mr.. POWERS of Aroostoek: Mr..
President, | just stepped out for a
moment with the understanding that
the Senator from Cumberland, Sen
ator Cram. was going to take this
matter from the table, and it is per-
fectly agreeable to me.
The PRESIDENTS: 1t is now talk
en- from the table.
Mr.. CRAM: Mr.. President / now
move that the bill be substituted for
the report of the committee, and
upon that motion ! would like to
speak very briefly. l wish in the
first place, to call the attention of
the Senate to the matter under con-
sideration, which is Senate Docu-
ment No. SO. which is n bill to amend
the absentee voting law. and the
principal change asked for is that
any voter who by reason of physical
intirmity or disability may be UNI
/ allie to attend the voting place on
the day of the primary or general
election shall on any of the three
secular days next preceding the day
of election procure from a duly reg
iStered physician, a resident of the
State of Maine, u certificate which
shall set forth in detail the nature
OF such intrmity or disability, and
also that i'll the judgment OF such
physician such voter shall thereby
he unable to attend the polling place
on the day of election, and that no
such certificate shall be valid or have
any force or effect il issued prior to
three days previous to the day of
election, nor used on the day OF
election.
This provision is designed to pro-
vide an opportunity for those who
are invalids, crlpples, those who are
unable to get from their
homes to the voting place, or who
may be by some temporary serious
illness unable to attend and vote
as they may desire. our absentee
ballot law now provides that "a trav
cling man. for instance. or anyone
who is obliged to be absent from his
own town or his own city on the day
of election, may upon making prop
er application for an absentee ballot,
So-called, deposit the same with the
city clerk and have his vote counted
, although he has been absent on the
day of election. The provision in
this proposed Act is to enable those
who are unable to travel even to the
voting places, to deposit their ballot
1t seems to me. Mr.. President. that
the provisions of the law as it now
stands is unfair to the person who
is sick or disabled. This person may
lie Il taxpayer and may have a de
sire to take part in the election, but
is unable to do so by physical rcas-
ons. We all know that only about
fifty percent of the registered voters
now take part in elections on election