Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-11-03
II ~ HOuc1siuE NeSroes,

nae Duty Of BADGES OF EiectIon
81 81 FopchinE NeSrees.
Section 10 Of the general election law,
passed May 8, ls52; provides that "the judge
to whom any ticket shall be delivered,
shall, upon the reeeips thereof, pronounced
with an audible voice the name of the
elector, and If no objections be made to
him, and the Judge be So tisfied that the
'elector is citizen of the United States, and
legally entitled, according to the Constitution
and laws OF this State, to vote at the elec-
tion, he shall immediately put the ticket
in the box, without inspecting the names
written thereon; and the clerks of the
election shall enter the name of the elec-
tor, and number, inlthe poll books" &C..
This is the sworn duty of the judge.
The Constitution is plain enough as to
whe, shall vote. 1t provides that ''every
,ehite male citizen.of the United States, OF
the age of twenty-one years, who shall
have been resident of the State one year
next preceding the election, and of the
county, township, or ward in which he re-
sides, such time as may be provided by
eiector, and be entitled to vote at all cleo
tions."
There is no provision in the Constitution
that even by 'indirection allows anybody
to. vote who mas any African blood in him.
VERY. certain, tits, that no Judge could be
convicted Ia Court Of Common Pleas in
Franklin county OF any sort of an off-nse
tor refusing the vote OF colorel man, even
did no law forbid his receiving such vote,
BY act of the Ohio I,egisatnr., which
b. tame a law on the u of April, 1859 see
revised statues Of Ohio by Swan& & Critch-
firld, VOL. I, pages 5is-9l the Judges Of
Election are forbidden to receive the votes
OF persons having /" "a distinct and visible
, affmi xturea of African blood" In the de-
termination of this question, they must use
their eyes, not the say SO or the oath of a
Negro who shall undertake to swear his
vote in. Z SIS 125s.5i' l,s ts .z51H Use
= Any Judge or Judges of any such cleo
ton. who Shall receive the vote ofany per-
son when such person has a .disdnct and
visible admixture of African BLOOD" rem
tders himself liable to a fine Of not exceed
ing five hundred dollars nor less than one
hundred dollars, and to imprisonment in
the countyj Jail not more than six months,
nor less than one month. -
1t does not, require extraordinarily good
eye.sight to determine whether man has
@a distinct and visible admixture of African
blood" 1t is self-evident, and if such a
person shall offer his vote, it is the duty of
the Judge or Judges to reject it, without
consuming time in nonsensical questions
as to whether he is more White than Black.
G The law does not only step in and pro-
hibit Judges of Election from receiving
votes from this class of persons, under severe
penalties, butit takes hold of any and every
'person who shall procure, aid, assist
counsel or advise another to give his vote
at any such ell ction, when such other per-
son has distinct and visible admixture OF
African blood" and subjects him 10 a fine
''ina any sum not exceeding five hundred
dollars, nor less than fifty dollars" and to
Imprisonment sin the county jail of The
proper county not more than six months
nor less than one month";" Let Democrats
see to it. that whoever in any particular
violates this law is arrested promptly and
prosecuted to the uttermost. ,rrfl5
1t will be the duty OF Policemen, regu-
lar and special. to be on hand at the polls
TO- day, and to assist promptly every per-
son who shall procure, aid arrest, counsel
or advise another to give his vote" ''when
such other person has aTdistinct and visi-
Bile admixture of African Blood" To neg
lece to do this, would be as palpable vio-
lation of his duty, as it would be were he
TO look quietly on while man were break
ing into house, or picking another mans
pocket. or IN any other way fiagrantly vio-
lating the law. OF himself, by his eye
sight, he must at once determine who has
a avisible admixture of African blood"
and he, must instantly arrest any man he
sees counseling such person to vote. By
SO doing, he will in the most efectual way
assist to keep the peace - au-fL 81 e
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