Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1869-10-07
Guard the Ballot Box!

6udku TIC 0oilOS 0oAi
1t is the duty of every good citizer
to see that there is an honest vote a
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 law.
full voters of Ohio. Heretofore there
have been fraudulent voting, fraudu-
lent counting of the vote, and false
and fraudulent return of the vote in
many voting precincts. Let US take
one case for illustration. 1.-THE Spring
election of 1868, in one of the town
ships of Belmont county. the Demo
cratic Judges of election so manipulate
ed the vote. in counting it out, that
they certified that majority of the
votes were cast for the Democratic can
didates and that these candidates were
duly elected. But enough was known
to justify the belief that the Union can
didates, including the Township Trus-
tees, were in point of fact elected by
the ballots cast. Proceedings were ac-
cordingly entered in the District Court
sitting in Belmont county, and that
Court unanimously decided, after hear
ing all the evidence in the case, that
the Republican candidates were duly
elected, there having been fraudu-
lent count and false return by the
judges of election. The New York
City plan of counting votes was adopt
ed, as it appeared from the evidence.
A Republican ticket was taken up by q
Judge and then the names of the Demo-
cratic candidates read off in the same
way as if it were a Democratic ticket.
This case is sufficient to show that
there is scarcely limit to the frauds
that may be committed where Demo-
cratic judges are allowed unrestricted
control of all that pertains to the de-
posit and counting of votes.
| One section of the general election
laws now in force reads as follows:
1.-The Judges of the election shall, if
requested, permit the respective candi-
dates, or one or more, not exceeding
three of their friends, to be present 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 i'm
portant duty, namely, tile duty of hav-
ing 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 de-
posted, until the time that the last vote is
counted ont. Under the law which we
have cited each candidate, whether on
the State or County ticket. has the
right TO be present in person, or to be
represented by three of his political
friends, within the room where the
Judges of election are seated. Where
written proxy has been given to an
other by a candidate who cannot be
present in person, it is not within the
power of any judges to exclude these
friends of candidates from the room
where the ballot box is kept, or pre-
vent them from scrutinizing 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 guarding the bal
lot box and watching closely the
counting of every ballot. To be will
ling 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 election last year in Co.
lumbus, through the connivance and
with the assistance of Democratic
judges of election. The returns in
three of the wards were notoriously
false and fraudulent. No Republican
was present at the counting of the
votes in three of the wards. If this
thing occurs again, the Republicans of
Franklin county may be set down as
pre-eminent in stupidity over all their
party in Ohio. But it will not occur
again Once more we say, let Repub-
lcan candidates, or friends with written
authority from them, be present within
the room where the ballot box is kept
at every voting precinct in this State
on the 12th day Of October.--State
Journal.