The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1868-12-03

as IS now practicable to carry out, will,
by making known the mining, manu-
featuring and agricultural resources of
the State, lead to their development
to an extent which will, within a few
years, amply reimburse the State for
its cost,
EXECUTIVE REPORTS.
The annual report of pardons granted
and the combinations of the sentences
Of convicts, required by law; a state
ment in detail Of the expenditure Of
the Governors contingent fund :. the
semi-annual report of the Commits
4 IsiOners Of the sinking-fund copies of
prOclamatiOns issued during the last
year, and an acknowledgment Of the
presentation to the State Of several of
the portraits of former Governors of
Ohio, are transmitted herewith.
ABUSES OF THE ELECTIVE FRAN.
CaIsE.
The most important subject of Iegis-
latiOn which, in my judgment, requires
the attention of the General Assembly
at its present session, relates to the
prevention Of frauds upon the elective
franchise. Intelligent men ofaI par
ties are persuaded that at the recent
important State and national elections,
great abuses Of the right of suffrage
were practised. am not prepared to
admit that the reports commonly cir
culated and believed, in regard to such
abuses, would, so far as the elections in
Ohio are concerned, be fully sustained
by thorough investigation 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 measures may be adopt |
ed by you to prevent their repetition. |
No elaborate attempt to portray the
consequences, Of this evil is required /
If it is allowed to increase, the conf
dence of the peOpIein the purity of
elections will be lost and the exercise
Of the right of suffrage will be neglect
ed. To corrupt the ballot box is to
destroy our free institutions. Let all
good citizens, therefore, unite inenact-
ing and enforcing laws which will
secure honest elections.
REPRESENTATION OF BIINORITIES IN
ELECTION BOARDS.
Isubmit to your Judgment the pro-
priety of such amendments of the cleo
ton laws as will provide, first, for
the representation of minorities in the
boards Ofjudges and clerks at the elec-
tons: and second, for the registration
of all lawful voters in each township,
ward and election precinct prior to the
election. That the boards of elections
ought to be so constituted that minor
titles as well as majOrities will have a
fair representation in them, is so plain
ly just that in some parts of the
State, even in times Ofthe highest DO
litical excitement, 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
judges and clerks of elections =,
can be adopted which will, in every I
case, accomplish this object. But in
cases where the strength Ofthe minority 7
is half, or nearly haIf,as great as that of u
the majority, the desired representation l
of the minority may be insured with
sufficient certainty by several different
plans. For example: It may be pro- =
vided that at the election of the three =
Judges who are to decide all ques Z
lions at the polls, each tlector z
may be allowed to vote for two candi- I
dates only,and that thethree candidates u
having the highest number of votes "
shall be declared elected, and in a u
like manner that at the election of Ie
the two clerks of elections, each cleo u d
tor may vote for one candidate only, u
and that the two candidates receiving
The highest number of votes shall be
declared elected. do not lay much tC
stress on the particular plan here n
suggested, but your attention is invi- o.
ed to the importance Of a fair repre- o.
Of the minority in all boards e
If elections, not doubling that your =
wisdom will be able to devise a suita- s.
Die measure to accomplish it. II