Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-04-12

away Cne rlgnCO1 SuHrage-tllaC most sacred |
and invaluable right-to give this contest
ant seat, contrary to your own law?-
Unless the books are sent to the Clerk |
and Secretary, or some satisfactory account |
Is given of them, the vote should not |
be counted, for 1t is not in conformity to |
the provisions of the act. Why don't the |
judicial gentleman on the committee make |
some reference to the palpable frauds and
informalities In the vote of my opponent
One of his books gives twenty-six votes for
my opponent, and there are only twenty
ballots forwarded. Why don't the honora-
BILE chairman OF that committee make q
reference In his report to that phenomenon
There are large number of votes counted
for Mr.. Carlan, purpOrting to be p0lled by
Company 20, Western Sharp-shooters,n
and 1t Is well known to everybody that
there Is no such company in the service.
Why don't the chairman Of fhe committee,
who pretends to be so PROFOUNDLY concern
ed in regard to the informalities of votes
polled for me, report some testimony to
elucidate this mystery? or why did he re-
fuse to give me time to expose the fraud?
Because, sirs, he shuts his eyes to the frauds
that stare him in the face, and bubbles
about votes which 60 against his client; be-
cause he has not the manliness to be just,
not the courage to be honest.
Mr.. Speaker, have no objection to this
committee ferreting out fraudulent votes,
for honestly believe the safety of the gov
ernment and the security of the people de-
pend upon the purity of the ballot-box; and
those who would corrupt the elective fran
chise would fritter away the liberties of the
people. But hold it to be the duty of this
committee to expose all frauds, not to ex-
pose those alone which effect the interest of
the abolition party, and cover up those
which were perpetrated by their side. The
law itself is defective enough, without be-
ing violated by those who made it. Under
this act the right of suffrage has become
mockery. l was told, upon the very best
authority, that under this law in some
camps minors, aliens, and all, were made to
vote, it being understood that if boys were
old enough to soldier they were old enough
to vote. Any one can vote under this law,
and rs often as he pleases, and perpetrate
whatever fraud he pleases. He is out of the
State; how are you to reach or punish him
in Western Virginia, in Tennessee or on the
Potomac? And when frauds are known to
exist they are covered up by the House that
made the law to promote party interests. 1t
Is legislative sanction 20 perpetrate frauds
on the ballot-boX in the military service.
But without going into these details,
think the case is sufficiently stated in the
propositions | have submitted: First, you
have no right to count votes unless the bal
lots are sent with the poll books for your
law requires that they shall go together !;
second, you must have the ballots and the
books because the law requires it. Are you
to count every list of names that comes to
the Clerk or Secretary? Are you to couut
every ticket, every slip of paper that ar
rives from camp to those officers? The law
requires that duplicates shall be made i'm
order that frauds may be detected; when a
book is sent to the clerk corresponding
one must be sent to the Secretary-no one
pretends that this was done with the books
In the case now under consideration. The
law requires the Clerk to open these books
and examine the ballots. Where thirty
ballots are forwarded without the proper
books, would you count these votes? Or
where list of names is sent without the
ballots, would you count them? Are we
thus to violate all law, and endorse all
frauds? Are we to be governed by such
palpable frauds as that of Company 20
Western Sharpshooters, or that where
there were twenty-six votes forwarded,
and but twenty names? The chairman OF
the committee on elections may overlook
such frauds, but can the House become a
party to them?
The clerk of the courts certifes that he
counted all the votes forwarded to him, and
that still have majority over my con-
testant. l had majority of two hundred
on the home vote over Mr.. Carlin; and were
the question TO be tried overagain tomorrow
before the people whom be assumes to repre-
sent, would beat him five hundred votes.
But, gentlemen. want the question decid-
ed with reference to the purity of the bal
lot box, not with reference TO myself. A
fraud, an injustice perpctrated upon q
person, amounts to little in the sum of life;
but fraud upon the ballot-box Is an injus-
tice upon whole people. Is this General
Assembly, the Legislature, of the people, to
indorse the frauds so plainly disclosed In
the evidence submitted tonight? want
no one to indorse fraudulent vote for me;
would sooner surrender the best office In
the governments; nor do wish to see the
fraudulent votes cast for my opponent in
dorsed by that body, and thereby make the
House a party to the fraud upon the ballot
box, upon the. purity of which, repeat,
solemnly believe the stability of the Gov
,ernment and the liberties of the people de-
pend, .s,.
provides that eeach House shall be tee
JuuRt VI bnt clcCJlOH IcbuEuo VI us rOWu
members" The returns are now under in
spection for your decision; that is the ex-
tent of your authority. The law does not
authorize, the Constitution does not allow
one party to a contest to summon hun
dred witnesses, at an enormous expense to
the State. No, sir the issue Is made up
when and where the evidence is taken; that
closes the testimony, and after the notice OF
contest Is served, and the evidence submit
ted, as In this case, at the beginning of this
. session, the law does not authorize one
party to send hundreds of miles for ad-
ditional witnesses and testimony, at the
States cost, as my opponent has done. The
law requires that the testimony shall be
taken before Justices, and forwarded to the
House, and upon this testimony the case is
! decided. If the contrary was the case,
! could take the testimony Of one witness
and then have the committee of the House
send for thousand others. rTN
/, With these desultory remarks gentlemen
/ submit the case. Not having been aware
that this report would be submitted at such
atime as this, / had no opportunity TO pre-
pare the arguments and investigate the ne
cessary authorities to appropriately reply tC
the sophistries and subterfuges of the re-
port; but am satisfied that no argument
could effect the Judgment of the House
That is already fixed There is, trust, nc
feeling of personal ill-will felt towards m,
by the House, generally; but l belong tt
the opposition party, and am subject *
your disapprobation upon that account.
am aware that the chairman of the commit