The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-10-08
REPUBLICANS, ATTENTION.
Guard the Ballot BoxI

1t is the duty of every good citizen
to see that there is an honest vote al
the election held two weeks from to-
day. The result announced should
represent the fair and honest expires.
sion of the political opinions of the
awful voters of Ohio. Heretofore
there have been fraudulent voting
fraudulent counting of the vote, and
false and fraudulent return of the
vote in many voting precincts. Lei
US take one case for illustration. Al
the Spring election of 1868, in one
of the townships of Belmont county,
the Democratic Judges of election SO
manipulated the vote in counting II
out, that they certified that a major
ity of The votes were cast for the
Democratic candidates and that these
candidates we're duly elected. But
enough was known to justify the be-
lief that the Union candidates, in
cluding the Township Trustees, were
in point Of fact elected. by the bal
lots cast. Proceedings were accOr-
dinghy entered in the District Court
sitting in Belmont county, and THAI
Court unanimously decided, after
hearing all the evidence in the case,
that the Republican candidates were
duly elected, there having been a
fraudulent count and false return by
the judges of election. The New
York City plan of counting votes was
adopted, as it appeared from the evil
dence. A Republican ticket was ta-
ken up by Judge and then the
names Of the Democratic candidates
read off in the same way as if it were
a Democratic ticket. This case is
sufficient to show that there is scarce
ly limit to the frauds that may be
committed where Democratic judges
are allowed unrestricted control of
all that pertains to the deposit and
counting of votes.
One section of the general election
laws now In force reads as follows:
The judges Of the election shall, if
requested, permit the respective can
didates, or one or more, not exceed
ing three of their friends, to be pre-
sent in the room where the judges
are, during the time of receiving and
counting out the ballots.
We now and here desire to call the
particular attention of Republicans
throughout the State to this most
important duty, namely. the duty of
having Republican candidates or one
or more political friends of those
candidates present at every voting
precinct in Ohio, from the time that
the first ballot is deposited, until the
time that the last vote is counted
out. Under the law which we have
cited each candidate, whether on the
the State or County ticket, has the
right TO be present in person, or to
be represented by three of his pOliti-
cal friends, within the room where
the judges OF election are seated.
Where written proxy has been Civ
en- to another by a candidate who
caLnot De perssnt In person, it is not
witiriiu the power of any judges to
exclude these friends of candidates
from the room where the ballot box
is kept, or prevent them from scrut.
inizing everything that is done by
them. Now, it is but the commonest
and most necessary precaution
against fraud to detail earnest and
fearless Republicans in every ward
and township for this duty of guard
ing the ballot box, and watching
closely the counting of every ballot,
To be willing to trust Democratic
judges to preserve the purity of the
ballot box, indicates ignorance of the
principles of the managers of that
party that is stupid and deplorable.
More than FIVE hundred fraudulent
votes were cast at the October elee-
ton last year in Columbus, through
the conniVance and with the assis-
tance eff Democratic judges of elec
tioE. The returns in three of the
wards were notoriously false and
fraudulent. No Republican was pres
ent at the counting of the votes il
three of the wards. IF this thing
occurs again, the Republicans o.
franklin county may be set down al
pre-eminent in stupidity ever al
their party in Ohio. But it will no
occur again. Once more we say, LEI
Republican candidates, or friends
with written authority from them, b.
present within the room where the
ballot box is kept at every voting
precinct 10 this State on the 10Th
day of October.