The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-11-25


upon a board of commissioners, APP
pointed for that purpose, or upon the
executive committee of the State
Board of Agriculture, power to
"stamp out" the disease wherever it
appears, by destroying all infected
cattle, and to prohibit or regulate the
transportation or movement of stock
within the State during the prevalence
of the disease. TO the end that prop
er Investigation may be had, l respect
fully recommend that authority be
given to appoint fivs commissioners
to attend meeting of commissioners
of other States, to be held for the con-
sideratiOn of this subject st Spring
field, Illinois, on the first of Decem-
Der next-said commissioners to re-
port the results of their investigation
in time for action by the present Gen
eral Assembly.
l submit to your consideration the
importance of providing for a thor
ough and comprehensive geological
survey of the State. Many years ago
a partial survey was prosecuted under
many difficulties and embarrassments,
which was fruitful of valuable results.
1t is, beyond doubt, that such a work
as it is now practicable to carry out,
will. by making known the mining,
manufacturing and agricultural re-
sources of the State. lead to their de-
velopment to an extent which will,
within few years, amply reimburse
the State for its cost.
The annual report of pardons grant
ed and the combinations of the SEN
tenceS of convicts required by law
statement in detail of the expenditure
of the Governors Contingent Fund /;
the semi-annual report of the Com
misSioners of the sinking Fund, for
May; copies of proclamations issued
during the last year; and an acknowl-
edgement of the presentation to the
State of several portraits of former
Governors of Ohio, are transmitted
herewith.
The most important subject of legis-
lation which, in my judgement, re-
quireS the attention of the General
Assembly at its present session, re-
lates to the prevention of frauds upon
the elective franchise. Intelligent
men of all parties are persuaded that
at the recent State and National cleo
tions great abuses of the right of suf-
frage were practiced. l am not pre-
pared to admit that the reports COM
monty circulated and believed in re-
gard to such abuses, would, so far as
be fully sustained by a thorough in
Vestigation of the facts. But it is not
doubted that even at the elections in
our own State, frauds were perpetrat-
ed to such an extent that all good cit
liens earnestly desire that effective
measures may be adopted by you to
prevent their repetition. No elabOr-
ate attempt to portray the conse-
| quenceS of this evil is required. If it
is allowed to increase, the confidence
of the people in the purity of elections
will be lost, and the exercise of the
right of suffrage will be neglected.
To corrupt the ballot box is to de-
stroy our free institutions. Let all
good citizens, therefore, unite in en-
acting and enforcing laws which will
secure honest elections.
| l submit to your Judgement the
propriety of such amendments to the
election laws as will provide, first, for
the representation of minorities in the
boards of the judges and clerks OF the
elections; and second, for the registra-
] ton of all the lawful voters in each
| township, ward and election pre-
! cinct, prior to the election.
| That the boards of the elections
| ought to be so constituted that minor
| tiles as we'll as majoritieS will have a
| fair representation IN them, is SO
| plainly Just that in some parts of the
State, even in times of the highest pO-
| liticaI excitement, such representa-.
ton has been obtained, in the alb
scence of law, by arrangement be-
tween the committees of rival polit.
ical parties. 1t is not probable that
any mode of selecting judges and
clerks of elections can be adopted
which will, in every case, accom-.
plish this object. But in all case:
where the strength of the minority is
half, or nearly half as great as that OF
the majority, the desired representa-
tiOn of the minority may be ensured
with sufficient certainty by severa
different plans. For example, it may
be provided that at the election of the
three judges who are to decide al
questions at the polls, each electol
may be allowed to vote for two can
didates only; and that the three can
didates having the highest number o
votes shall be declared elected, and il
like manner that at the election of the
two clerks of elections each electol
may vote for one candidate only, anC
that the two candidates receiving th(
highest number of votes shall be de
clared elected.
do not lay much stress on the par
ticular plan here suggested, but you
attention is invited to the importanc,
of fair representation of the minori
ty in all boards of elections, not doubt
ing that your wisdom will be able II
devise a suitable measure to accom-
plish it.
All parts of the State of Ohio arr
now so closely connected with eacl
/ nf 1lxr4
of railway, that great and constantly
increasing facilities are afforded fo
the perpetration of the class of fraud
} on the elective franchise, commonl!
known as "colCnizing." In the cite
men called "repeaters," it is said ,ar
paid wages according to thr numbe
of unlawful votes they succeed il
casting at the same election. The in
crease of population adds to the diff
Guilty of detective and preventing
} fraudulent voting, in whatever mod
it may be practiced. It is manifest,
: impossible, amid the hurry and eX
/ citement of an election, that the legs
2 right to vote, of every person VIII
r may offer his ballot, should be full
and fairly Investigated and decided
1 The experience of many OF the olde
3 States has proved that this can beS
| D6 uOn6 dl SOIuo peEIOd prior 10 III
t election, so as to give to|every Iega
Q voter, in an election precinct, an OF
: portunlty to challenge the claim {
4 any person whose right Is deeme
: questionable. Laws to accomplis
o this have been in force in several ott
q er States for many years, and hav
. been carried out successfully and wit
d the general approval of the peOpl
s Believing that an act providing fl
= the registration of all legal voters
the most effective remedy ye- devise
/ for the prevention of frauds on tt
It sacred right of suffrage, and that
y registry law can be so framed that
d will deprive no citizen, either nati'
If born or naturaliZed, of his rights,
/ respectfully recommend to your car
t. est consideration the propriety of e
G. acting such a law,
lr - -a--. r. b, HAYES.
, SpEAKERs-New and good just receiv
or at John McGregOr's Book store.