The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1868-11-27


stock within the State during The
prevalence Of the disease. To the
end that proper investigation may b,
had, / respectfully recommend thai
authority be given to appoint fv,
commissioners to attend 8 meeting O
commissioners of other States, t,
be held for the consideration OF thiI
subject at Springfield, Illinois, on til,
first of December next-said commits
sioners to report the results OF thei
investigation in time for action b,
the present General Assembly.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
l submit to your consideration th
importance of providing for thor
ough and comprehensive geological
survey of the State. Many year
ago partial survey was prosecute,
under many difficulties and embar
rassmenta, which was fruitful of val
liable results. 1t is beyond doub
that such a work as it is now practi
cable to carry out, will, by maxim.
known the mining, manufacturin!
and agricultural resources of tn
State, lead TO their development t,
an extent which will, within few
years, amply reimburse the State 70
its cost.
EXECUTIVE REPORTS.
The annual report of pardon
granted and the combinations of til
sentences of csnvicts required b,
law; a statement in detail of tie ex
penditure Of the Governors contiu
gent fund; the semi annual report o
the commissioners Of the sinking
fund, for May; copies of proclama
tions issued during the last J ear, anG
an acknowledgment of the presenta
ton to the State of several of the
portraits OF former Governors Of
Ohio, are transmitted herewith.
ABUSES or THE BLECTIvE FRANCHISE
The most important subject of leg
islation which, in my judgment, re.
quires the attention of the general
assembly at its present session, re
lates 10 the prevention Of frauds upon
the elective franchise. Intelligent
men of all parties are persuaded tina,
at the recent important State and
National elections great abuses oi
the right of suffrage were practiced
I am not prepared to admit that the
reports commonly circulated and
believed in regard to such abuses
would, so far as the elections in Ohio
are concerned, be fully sustained by
a thorough Investigation of the facts
But it is not doubted that even al
the elections in our own State frauds
were perpetrated to such an extent
that all good citizens earnestly desire
that effective measures may be
adopted by you to prevent their rep
etition. No elaborate attempttopor-
tray the consequences of this evil is
required. Ifit 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 destroy our free in
stitutions. Lot all good citizens
therefore, unite IN enacting and en-
forcing laws which will secure homes
elections.
REPRESENTATION OF MINORITlES IN
ELECTION BOARDS.
l submit to your judgment the pro
priety of such amendments to tn,
election laws as will provide, first
for the representation of minoritie:
IN the boards of the judges and clerk.
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 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 political
such representation has
been obtained, in the absence OF law,
by arrangement between the com
mittees OF the rival political parties.
1t is not probable that any mode of
selecting judges and clerks of cleo
hons can be adopted which will, in
every case, accomplish this object.
But in all cases where the strength
IF the minority is half, or nearly half
Is great as that of the majority, the
desired representation of the minority
nay be insured with sufficient GER
.ainty by several different plans. For
it may be provided that at
he election of the three judges who
ire to decide all questions at the
POLLS, each elector may be allowed
10 vote for two candidates only, and
hat the three candidates having the
highest number Of votes shall be de-
,lared elected, and in like manner
hat at the election of the two clerks
If elections each elector may vote
or one candidate only, and that the
;wo candidates receiving the highest
lumber OF votes shall be declared
elected.
l do not lay much stress on the
particular plan here suggested, but
7our attention is invited to the i'm.
,ortance Of a fair representation of
he minority in all boards of elec-
ions, not doubling that your wisdom
will be able to devise suitable meas
Ire to accomplish it.
REGISTRY LAW.
All parts o. the State of Ohio are
low SO closely connected with each
'ther, and with other states, by lines
# railway, that great and constantly
facilities are afforded for
he preparation of the class of frauds
IN the elective franchise, commonly
,nown as "colonizing." In the cit
es, men called "repeaters,' it is
aid, are paid wages according to
he number Of unlawful votes they
ucceed in casting at the same cleo
ion. The increase of population
dds to the difficulty of detecting and
reventing fraudulent voting, in
Ihatever mode it may be practiced.
is manitestly impossible, amid the
urry and excitement of an election,
nat the legal right to vote, of every
erson who may offer his ballot,
hould be fully and fairly investiga-
I'd and decided. The experience Of
Iany Of the older states has proved
lat this can best be done at some
eIiod prior to the election, SO as to