Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1860-01-26
Everybody Should Sign It.


A Petition is circulating among us III re-
gard to bribery and corruption at elections
The present law is dead letter, from the
fact that all parties refuse or neglect to put
it in force This is in great measure owing
to the fact that prosecution of the law in its
present shape, is attended with much difficulty
and uncertainty. The following is the law as
1t now stands :-
Sec. los. No person shall in Any way, di
rectly or indirectly, offer, promise, procure,
confer, accept, receive, or take any money
property, thing in action, victualss drink, pre-
ferinent or other consideration, by way Of Tee
reward, gift, or gratuity. fer giving, or refus-
lug to give, any vote at any such election; moi
shall any person,in any such election, bv men
ace or other corrupt means or device directly oil
indirectly attempt to influence any personsin
giving or refusing to give, his vote therein, OF
TO deter or dissuade any person from giving
his vote therein, or to disturb, hinder, per
suade, threaten, or intimidate any person from
giving his vote therein; nor shall any person
Vt any such election, knowingly and wilfully
make any false assertion or propagate any
false report concerning any person. who shall
be candidate thereat, which shall have 9
Itendeney to prevent bis election, Or with a
view thereto; nor Shall any officer or othel
person Summon, cali out, or request any com
pany or body of militia to appear, parade, OF
exercise on the day of any such election, ex
cept IN case OF invasion. or Instruction.
Sec. 100. If any person shall be guilty q
any act forbidden or declared to be unlawful
by the preceding section of this act. be shall
De deemed and taken to be guilty of misde
meanor, and on conviction thereof shall be
punished by fine or Imprisonment, or both, al
the discretion of the court before which such
conviction shall be had; preceded. that in nc
case shall such fine exceed the sum of two hun
dred and fifty dollars or such Imprisonment the
term OF six months
The above would seem at first sight to
cover all necessary ground, but experience
proves to the contrary. 1t will be perceived
that no matter whether the person offering te
vote has violated one or all OF the provisions
of tbs section, he cannot be prevented from
voting. His vote is taken and counted the
same as that of any other person, and he can
not he called to an account for his crime, al
the time of its commission-nor can he at any
subsequent period, with any certainty of con
yiction owing to the indirect manner in which
brides are generally offered and accepted
This is the reason why an enforcement of the
law is never resorted to.
The petitioners believing that "in the puri.
ty of the balot-box depends the permanency
OF our Institutions" think that some further
,osse legislation would have a salutary effect
The remedy proposed is, that upon any person
offering to vote who may be suspected oil
having violated any Of the provisions of the
above section, he may be challenged by any
legal voter of the township, and if the voter
insists upon voting be shall be sworn or af-
6rmed upon the grounds of such challenge, by
the Judges of Election, his deposition taken
in writing by the Clerk, which shall be sigued
by dcPonont,- and flad4 among the naners oil
she township. If it shall appear that he has
violated any of the provisions of said act, be
shall not be permitted to vote at said election
nor for two years thereafter, and in addition
be held responsible for all penalties incurred in
consequence of such bribery and corruption
This, we take it, fully meets the case, and
should, and no doubt will, receive the sanction
of every honest man in the community.