Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-10-12
The Plan to Cheat the People ON
Negro Suffrage Frustrated. i


The Constitution of Ohio requires that
majority of all the votes cast shall be nee
| essary to change the Constitution. Every
vote given, if not in favor of the amend
ment, must be counted against it. This
has been the settled construction of the
Constitution, in all attempts to amend it.
Early in the campaign just ended, the
Jouradl of this city sent out q feeler in the
shape of hint that If there were more
affirmative than negative votes on the Ne
gro amendment, it would be deemed car
ried. Subsequently that sheet professed
70 back out Of ITS position by an acknowl-
edgment that all the votes, except those
with the words Constitutional
Amendment Yes," must be counted
as against it. Iuaddition to this, a circu-
lar issued'by the Republican State Execu-
tive COMMITTEES, under date of Sept. 80,
signed by, Gen.. CowAN as Chairman and
DR.. JAMES WILLIAMS Secretary, bids the
voters
"Renem6er. that evsry ticket put into the
ballot bo5 t1ithout the toords Unconstitutional
Amendment--Ye 81" thereon, is q vote against
mat 'neas'resY loirU si3 3a ssYrao1g t'4eT OFT
Another circular, secretly sent to the
Republican committees, signed by the
same names, stated the fact that an the
Republican Tickets would be printed, the
I words "For. Constitutional Amendment,
Yes" and that those who wished tovote
against it, by leaving off the word -'Yes''
would have their votes counted as
against it. .tr. .f.-..,.,,
These facts are given to show that to the
world the idea was held out, that, under
the Constitution 1t required an affirmative
vote, of a majority of all the votes cast,
not In favor of or against the amendment,
but of all the votes cast at said election to
carry Negro Suffrage in Ohio. .n.2 +i
Immediately after the election, and while
the result on Negro voting was mixed up
with doubt of being carried, the Ashta6ula
Sentinel, thus breaks ground in favor of
declaring Negro Suffrage carried if it re-
ceives minority of all votes. 1t says:
"The discussion of this question will
most likely occupy some public attention
now; and if it should turn out that the votes
against the amendment, united with the
tickets that do not contain vote either
way, exceed those given for it, and yet the
|
enfranchisement will, certainly be made
under that vote, as adopting the amend
| ment, We hope there will no such neces-
sity arise; though if it does, we strongly
incline to believe our Courts will sustain
the position we take"
That this was an intended fraud-coolly
planned, to. force Negro Suffrage on the
people of Ohio in direct opposition to their
wishes, there is not, in our mind, the
shadow of a doubt. But, the terrible and
Overwhelming defeat of Negro Suffrage
the nays which were Numbered against it
from all parts of Ohio, far outnumbering
the feeble yeas in its favor, blocked the
game 1t was blocked, too, by the election
of Legislature Democratic in both
branches, upon which will devoIve the
duty of acanvassing and counting the votes
and declaring the result, and the Courts
the Supreme Court containing major
ity of Judges who decided that black is
white, negroes white men-wilI have
nothing to do with the matter. a.t
| Was it not to aid in this contemplated
fraud that the Executive Committee of the
| Republican party sent out their circulars
that the simple tearing off the Ticket the
word Yes would be counted as negative
vote-that voting the words '.For Consti-
tutional Amendment" without any yes, or
| no to Il, would be taken as vote against
Negro Suffrage? ~r- y T--ri-. ---
The evidence, circumstantial though it
be, that the fraud was planned by the party
leaders, and was to be fully carried,out in
the event OF Republican Legislature, is
sufficient to convict. If necessary, every
vote headed "For Constitutional Amend-
ment, without any other prefix to it, was
to be counted as a vote of ''yes's for Negro
Suffrage,aud those votes and the affirmative
votes in It's favor. it was deemed would be
sufficient to enable them to perpetuate the
fraud. But 1.-, = 5ss
The best i laid d pans of mice and mon. 4.
and in the exposure of this deep and scoun-
drelly plan to cheat the people of Ohio
into allowing Negro Suffrage against their
will, as it ought, must overwhelm these
conspirators against the rights of the peo-
pie with whirlwind of popular indigna-
tioD. ,.,.,,., .-s-.-.--. 4.,.. -, ~
Thanks, to the Democratic and Conserva-
tive voters of Ohio, the intended fraud is
averted and Negro Suffrage is de-
feated, past hope, past cure, and its advo-
Gates have received such rebuke as will
last them, the remainder of their natural
| lives. r'e1i Hf