Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-12-05

comprehensive geological survey of the
state. Many y. ars ago a partial survey
! was prosecuted ihnder many difficulties
snd smbarrassments, which was fruitful
/ OF valuable results 1t is beyond doubt
| that sach q work as II is now practicable
to carry out, will, by making known the
mining, manufacturing and agricultural
resources of the state, lead to their. de-
velopment to an extent which will, with.
in a. few years, amply reimburse the
state fer its cost. -aa.llI slis .'rida ui
0' 'i-! sTExECUTIyE REPoRrs. sJ-.l
i' The annual report of pardons~ granted
and the Communication of the sentences of
convicts as required by law Statement
| in detail of the governors contingent
fund z the Semi-annual report of the Com
missioner of tine sinking fund, for Nav;
copies of proelamatiens issued during the
last year, and an acknowledgment. of
the presentation tO.ths state of several
of the portraits of former governors of
Ohio, are submitted herewith. IN, g-,-
|os ABUSES OF THE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE.
The most important subject of lesisla-
tion which, i'm my Judgment, requires the
attention of the general ASSEMBLY at its
present session, relates to the prevention
of frauds upon the.elective franchise In-
telligent men of all parties are pursuad-
ed that at the recent important state and
national elections great abuses of the
right of suffrage were practieed. lam
not prepared to admit that the reports
commonly circulated and believed in re-
gard to such abuses would, so far as the
elections in Ohio are concernca5 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 4 ex-
tent that all coed citizens earnestly de-
sire that effective measures may be adopt
ed by you to prevent their repetition.
No elaborate attempt to portray the con
sequences 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 oeorrupt the ballot-box
is to destroy our free institutions. let
all good citizens, therefore, unite in en-
netting laws which will secure honest
elections. EL. .fsgErJ1l I'd -aTii'1 rs u }"
REPRESENTATION OF MIS0RITIEs Is ELEC-
I, ...--.,..., .-.. TON BOARDS. ,r.t ...s-i,,
d Isubmit to your Judgment the propri-
ety of such amendments to the election
laws as willprovide, first, for the repre-
sanitation of minorities III the boards
OF the Judges and tho clerks of
the elections and, second, for
the registration of all the lawful voters
in each township, ward anl7eiection pre-
cinct prior to the eleetioh.l o'qi79g y Jon
20 That the boards OF elections oaght to
be SO constituted that mine rites as well
as maiJrities viii have Il fair representa-
tiUn,in them, is 80 plainly just that IN
some parts Of the State, even M tunes of
the highest political excitement, such
representation has been obtained, in the
absence of law, by arrangement between
the committees iof rival political parties.
1t is not probable that ANY mode of Sc
lectinc Judges aud 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 halt,
or nearly half as great as that OF the ma
iority, the desired representation OF the
minority may be insured With, sufficient
certainty ,at amt 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 Poiis each
'eldctor NAV be allowed tovOte tor two cali
tlTdates only and that the three candidates
ihavinoy the highest number OF votes shall
b,pa.rlsr,,a elected, and iHol like manner
,J,at Mt the election OF the two clerks of
election each clect0r may vote for one
s,..,n,jidits ID ouly; and thaC1theg two eandi-
dates receiving tlie highest number OF
y x.,t,., shall be declared elected. daYmsEai
ys 4 do not lay much stress ont the PartIc-
ular plan heeo suggested, but your atten-
ton is invited TO the Importance Ola FAIR
.represeHation of thes minority in0 all
baards of elections. not doubling that
your- wisdom, will be .ablept TO devise a
suitable measure to accomplish r.ssnlia
,,,i ...f ~ -g9H REGIsIRYs1LAw 10 shaGta4b 4.
All parts of the State of Ohio are now
so closely connected with each other, and
with other Statess by Lines ref, railway,
that great and copstapll i lnlereaslnsgs ln & u ia
,eilities are afforded for the. preparation
OF the, class of frauds 7en the elective
franchise commonly known as /" colopiz1
iug.p In the cities men called "reJPeeat1
ers,n' it is said are paid wages according ord,
to the number of unlawful votes = tine9y
succeed in casting at the same ee electloh'
The increase OF population adds 70 TN. tne
difficulty Of detecting aud prelvenitlIng p3l'f iilI
Fraudulent voting in whatever mode it
I noss;bIa H. I IN the hurry and excitement of
pn ;eiection. that the legal right to vote,
Of Of every person who may offer his ballot,
should be fully and fairly investigated
and decided. The experiment of many
Of the older States has proved that this
can best be done at soE1e period prior to
the election, so as-to give to every legal
voter in an-electiano precinct, an opportu-
nifty to; challenge the claim OF fevery per
son whose rights deemed questl9p Sic.