The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1844-05-15


OF the government, and an attempt to overthrow
the government itself. No institution should be
guarded with such jealous care as that Of the
elective franchises for the overthrow of all others
put together would not so much endanger our
liberties 1t is the highest duty that every citi-
zen owes to himself, TO his country, to the mem
ory of his ancestors, TO their blood and treasure
spilled and expended in the great revolution by
which we were redeemed; and, above all, to
those who are to come after him, to preserve this
franchise in its pristine purity, and TO transmit ii
unsullied to posterty.
My next object is to show that the elective
franchise has been basely violated, and the bal
lot-box most coruptly abused If can do that,
Will have shown good reasons why this bill
should pass, or some other one that will prevent
such abuse and such corruption hereafter.
have stated that our constitutions and laws
have defined the manner in which the elective
franchise shall be used, as well as who shall be
entitled to its exercise; and the same rules pro-
hbt its use IN any other way than those prescri-
bed, and by any other persons than those desig-
mated. For this purpose elective precincts are
established in every county in every State in the
Union. BY the wisdom of our lawmakers, those
precincts are small; they have also provided for
the appointment of class of officers called
Judges of election, whose duty it is to 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 receive no
vote from the haLd Of any one not entitled TO
Il vote within the precinct, and to reject all votes
from persons living wit hout the precinct, whether
citizens OF the State or of the United States, or
not The object of those provisions and guards,
is to secure the elective franchise from abuse
Demonstrations and laws have peculiarly guard
ed the States from interference with each other
in relation to the privilege and use ofth ballot
box; and all elections are declared void which
are Vitatod by illegal votes--whether by illegal
votes from the hand of those who have no RIGHT
to vote, or, having right to vote, vote in the
precinct, county, or State, other than that desig-
mated as the proper place to vote. 1t is now my
purpose to show that the elective franchise has
been violated in all the particulars which have
mentioned, but more especially by persons voting
i'll States, counties, and precincts in which they
had no right to vote, and in violating express
laws regulating elections, and defining the priv
ieges Of elections; and it is to prevent repeti-
ton Of such violations hereafter, and in all time,
that have introduced this bill. 1t would seem
that the ftamers Of the federal constitution had
a presentIment of the possibility of the abuse of
the elective franchise, in the very manner and
by the yorymeans by which, has been violated:
hence they reserved the means to the federal
Congress Of preventing such an evil.
hold in my hand the Constitution of the Uni
ted States. The fourth section of the first arti-
Gle reads thus:
"lhc times, places, and manner of holding
elections for senators and representative shall be
prescribed in each State by the legislature there
of; but the Congress may at any time, by law,
make Or alter such regulation, except as to the
place of choosing senators.
A part Of article second, section first, reads
thus:
"The Congress may determine the time of
choosing the electors, and the day on which they
shall give their votes, which day shall be the
same throughout the United States"
And these, sir, are the constitutional authori-
ties for the passage of ths bill now under con-
sideration. There never was a time, nor will
there ever be time, when it will be more prop
er for Congress to interfere and assert its consti
tutional authority in this matter than at this
time
1t would seem, with the knowlodgewo which
we possess of the wholesale frauds and unvar-
nished treason that were practsed in 1888 and
lS40, that it is an imperous duty that we owe
to our situation, TO the country, and the oath we
have taken, to pass some law which will arrest
a repetition Of such frauds. | would be excusa-
bic in the mere assertion of the frauds upon the
ballot-boX, and violation of the elective fran
chise, pracdsed in the elections of those years.
so we'll are they known, and so firmly are they
fixed in the conventions of this widespread com
munty; but have promised proofs and exposes,
SO proceed 70 present some of hem. say
some of them, for | have neither time nor space
to give even those have more than bird's-eye
glance, nor have had time OF opportunity to
collect the one-thousandth part
hold in my hand book 1t is the journal
of an investigating committee raised and author
lied by the legislature of Ohio TO investigate
a contest between ]. G. Wright, contcstor, and
@. w. Holmes, contcstee, GALL of tho county of
llamilton,) who we're candidates for the Ohio
Senate at the annual election of IS10--thc for
mer as rank blue-light federal whg as ever JUS
tilted the Hartford convention, or worshpped
a coon; the latteras pure and as firm locofoco
anti-bank Jotfersonian democrat as ever bore the
name, or " skinned a coon;" both clever fellows,
and highly respectable citizens in every personal
and private sense. Holmes was the successful
candidate; Wright contested his seat; and this
book contains the evidence disclosed by the con-
test. 1t is large book; it contains four hun
drcd and twenty pages; and every page, from the
tite-pago to the last page, is crowded in close
lines and small type, with evidence of the basost
frauds on the elective franchise. Well as the
frauds of 1910 arc understood, this book disclo-
Sos frauds beyond suspicion, and almost beyond
Did | not owe it to my con-
to my country, and to my office, and
this constitution, which | have bound myself,
with upliftod hand, and in presence of my God,
TO support,-for the honor ofmy country, and for