Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-12-02
EXECUTIVE REPORTS.


The annual report of pardons grant
ed and the combinations of the SEN
tenees of cOnviets required by law;
statement in detail of tie expenditure
Of the Governors Contingent Fund
the semi-annuaI report OF the Com
missioners of the Sinking Fund, for
May; copies of proelamstions issued
during the last year and an aeknow
edgement of the presentation to the
State of several Of the portraits of
former Governors of Ohio, are trans
mitted herewith.
ABUSES OF THE ELECTIVE VEFRANCHISE
The most important subject of legis-
lation which, in my Judgment, re-
quires the attention of the General
Assembly at its present session, relates
to the prevention of frauds upon the
elective franchise. Intelligent men
of all parties are persuaded that at the
recent important State and National
elections great abuses of the right Of
suffrage were praetieed. lam not pre-
pared to admit that the reports COM
monty circulated and believed in re-
gard TO such abuses, would, so far as
the elections in Ohio are concerned,
be fully sustained by thorough in
vestigation of the facts. But it is not
doubted that even at the elections in
our own State frauds were perpetrated
TO such an extent that all good citizens
earnestly desire that effective meas
ures may be adopted by you to pre-
vent their repetition. No elaborate
attempt to portray the consequences
of this evil is required. If it is al
lowed 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 destroy
our free Institutions. Let all good cit
zens, therefore, unite in enacting and
enforcing laws which will secure hon
est elections
REPRESENTATION OF MINORITIEs IN
ELECTION BOARDS
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
registration of all the lawful voters
in each township, ward and election
precinct, prior to the election.
That the boards of elections ought
to be so constituted that minorities as
well as majOFities will have a fair
representation in them, is so plainly
just that in some parts of the State,
even in times of the highest political
excitement, such representation has
been obtained, in the absence of law,
by arrangement between the commit
tees of the rival political parties 1t
is not pro Obable that any mode Of Sc
leeting judges and clerks of elections
can be adopted which will, in every
case, accomplish this object. But in
all cases where the strength of the
minority is half, or nearly half as
great as that of the majority, the de-
sired representation of the minority
may be insured with sufficient GER
ainty by several different plans. For
example, it may be provided that at
the election of the three judges who
are to decide all questions at the polls,
each electOr may be allowed to vote
for two candidates only, and that the
three candidates having the highest
of votes shall be declared
and in like manner that at
the election of the two clerks of cleo
tiOns each eleetor may vote for one
only, and that the two can
didates receiving the highest number
of votes shall be declared elected.
I do not lay much stress on the
particular plan here suggested, but
your attention is invited to the i'm
pOrtanee of fair representations of
the minority in all boards of elections,
not doubling that your wisdom will
be able to devise a suitable measure to
accomplish it.
RRGISTRY LAW.
All parts of the State Of Ohio are
now so closely connected with each
other States, by lines of railway, that
great and constantly increasing
facilities are afforded for the perpe-
tratiOn of the class of frauds, on the
elective franchise, commonly known
IS "cOlonizing.n In the cities, men
called "repeaters," f" it is said, are paid
wages according to the number Of
unlawful votes they succeed in cast
ing at the same election. The increase
)f population adds to the difficulty of
detecting and preventing fraudulent
voting, in whatever mode it may be
Dracticed. 1t is manifestly impOssi-
Die, amin the hurry and excitement
II an election, that the legal right to
vote, of every person who may offer
MS ballot, should be fully and fairly
invested and decided. The expert
,nce of many of the older States has
proved that this can best be done at
ome period prior to the election, so
IS to give every legal voter, IN an
election precinct, an opportunity to
challenge the claim Of any person
whose right is deemed questionable.
laws to accomplish this have been in
orce in several other States for many
ears, and have been carried out sue
esfully and with the general APPROX
i of the people. Believing that an
.ct providing for the registration Of
ii legal voters is the most effective
emedy yet devised for the prevention
f frauds ON the sacred right Of
and that registry law can
,e so framed that it will deprive no
itizen, either native born or natural
zed, of his just rights, L respectfully
commend to your earnest consider
tiOn the propriety of enacting such
law. r. B. HAYES