The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-05-17

ty Of both treason and perjury Ana upon inc
same principle, he who holds Office in corruption
ofthe elective franchise, and IN violation OF 'he
Constitution iseqnahy suNty OF ueason' '''S"'u.
as both are violations of sacred and fundamental
principle of the government. All repuoics nave
placed high estimate on the elective franchise,
and have imposed penalties for Its Violations ana
abuses in proportion to It's magnitude
believe in the Grecian States, In their repusli-
can DAYS. violation of the elective franchise was
punished BIZ death. Itwas also penal offence for
citizen of one State to vote in, or mcddle with,
,be institutions of another. Such an offence was
looke upo,, and punished as treason. II is So and
is and has been considered SO, in every republic
An abuse OF the elective franchise is violation OF
a,fundamei.tll p:i .cple Of the government aud an
,t,omnt 10 overthrow the government itself. No
institution should be guarded with such jealous
care as tina, of the elective franchise for the over
throw Of All Others put together, would notso much
en,Ianrer ouf liberties, lti the highest duty that
every citizen owes u himself to lis country, to the
memory o! his ancestors, to their blood and treasure
spilled aud expended in the great revolution ny
which we were redeemed; and, above all, to those
who ore to come after Him, to preserve this IRAN
chise in its pristine purity and to transmit 1t unsui
lied 10 pos.erity.
Nv nest object is TO show that the elective IRAN
chisc has been biscly violated, and the paHo'-poA
most corruptly abused II | can do that, VIII
have shown good reasons why tins OIL shouIu pass
or some ether one that will prevent such abuse ahd
such corruption hereafter
have stated that our constitutions ana laws nave
defined the msurcr IN Which the elechVe 'ra'e"ise
shall be used well as who shall be entitled 10 is
exercise and tie same rules prohibit s use IN any
other than t'o'c prescribed, and BY any o'''er
porsons way than those designated or "is Pur-
Lose, election precints are established In every
county in every Safe IN the Union by Inc Wis
dom our lawmakers, those preciAs are small'
they have a, 20 provid d for the appointment OF
css of off ers called judges Of election, whose du-
tx il j, 10 know Of themselves, or by information,
all persons who are or are not entitled to the use OF
the elective franchise The judges are sworn to re-
ceive no vote from the hand of any one not entl-
tied to vote within the precinct, and TO reject all
votes from persons living without the precinct,
honor c;,;,ons of tbc State or the United States,
rrho o,;o., ot those provisions and guards
ia 10 secure the elective franchise from abuse
a., on,,;,,,;o,s and laws have peculiarly guarded
~, c,,tos from Interference with each other in rela-
ton - tho nriviIeue or the abuse of the ba|lot-box
and a., elections are declared void which are vatcd
h, ;,roy,, votes- whether by illegal votes from the
hand of those VIII, have no right to vote, or, hav-
g., >; ,bt % vots vote in the precnct, county, or
c,o o,her than that DESIGNATED as the proper place
- vote u;.nov nv purpose 10 show that the
coc,;yc franchise has been violated in all the par.
,;c,,,,rs which Ihaye mentioned, but more cspe-
.;,,,, hv nc-sons v,,inr in States counties and pre-.
,;rc,s i, which they had no night to vote, and in
,;o,,,or of .ynress laws regulating elections, and
dr6piur the privileges of elections; and il is to pre-
won't rcpetitjon CT such violations hereafter, and
a, al time, that have introduced this bill II
,ro,,s sc.m that the trainers of the federal consti
cotton lad nrescntnent of the possibility Of the
,,,sc of tbn elective franchise in the very manner
,,d h, the very means by which it has been viola
,ca. bcnce thev reserved the means 10 the federal
f,onrross of nrevcntinr such an evil
= hold in my hand the constitution OF The Unitec
States The fourth section OF the first article read'
thus:
"The times. places, and manner Of holding cleo
tions for senators and representatives shall be pre-
scrbed in each State by the legislature thereof; bu
the Congress my at any time, by law, make or al
fer such regulations, except to the place ofchoos
inr senator's"
A part Of article second, section FIRST reads thus:
1.-The Congress may determine the time OF choos
ing the electors, and the day on which they sha'
give their votes, which day shall be tn" SAINT
throughout the United States"
And these, sir, are the constitutional authonue
for the passage Of bill now under consideration
There never was time, nor will there ever be
time when il will be more proper for Congress t'
interfere and ASSERT its constitutional authority IL