The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-06-08

| ASAiAohSC III XIV Vi SUCH ttCG. ..s.
!. That is to say, if the offer of q citi-
zen to perform the act to be done shall
fail to be carried, into execution by
reason of the wrongful act or omission
it shall be deemed to be a perform
ance. And then what? Then the
Judges of election are required to al
low that man to vote upon his affi-
davit of the fact stated in the previ-
Gus part of this section, without any
contradiction whatsoever, There is
no door open to contradiction. He
may be swearing to the barest false
hood that ever fell from the lips of
man; he may not have offered to do
the thing; or if he did offer he may
not have been prevented by any
wrongful act or omission OF the regis
tering officers or other .functionaries
and yet, although they might be able
to prove by a hundred witnesses that
the man was committing perjury, his
affidavit is to be taken as conclusive
evidence of the fact, and he is to be
allowed to vote. .'
| But let us go a little further. Not
only is he to be allowed to vote, but
the judge of election or the person
| who is to count the vote. if he do not
receive and count that persons vote
upon his mere affidavit, which he is
not permitted to contradict, forfeits
the sum of five hundred dollars 'sto
the person aggrievnd thereby;" that
is to the man who makes the affidavit
In other words you hold out plain,
clear inducements to n man to COM
nit perjury. You give him five hun
dred dollars if he will swear falsely.
There may or may not be one word
of truth in what he. says. 1t may be
said you can convict him of perjury
ifhe swears falsely. How can you do
it? Let me put q case. Here: is =; n
registrar, man whose business it is
to register votes, A b says he came
and offered to register and to show
that he was qualified before that man.
In truth it may be that he never did
any such thing; but he says SO, and;
he goc5 to the election and makes an
afiidavt Of that fact. The registrar
may swear that he never did any such
thing That would be an oath again st
an oath; and yet he must be allowed
ceive his vote here is q fine of $500
to the man himself who has taken the
false oath. How are you to convict
! him OF perjury? You cannot do it.
There may be the oath of the regis
trar against his oath but every law
yer knows you must have more than
the oath of one man to convict anoth
er man of perjury. You must have
two witnesses, of one witness and
strong corroberating circumstances.
FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS OFFER
ED FOR A FALSEHOOD.
BY this bill and this is the only one
Of the Instances, rs [ shall show before
[ get Throughout put it absolutely in
the power of an INSCRIPTIONS man to
put $500 in his pocket every time he
is willing to tell a falsehood IN the
shape of an affidavit. Not only do
you put it in the power of wicked men,
or men who are ignorant and those
who use ignorant men for their pur-
doses. Take the negro who cannot
read OF write How easy it is topur-
suade that man that he has appeared
before the registrar and Offered to do
all that was necessary to entitle him
to vote, when in point of fact he
would have 70 clear distinct knowl
edge Of anything he was to do at all
in the premises and yet you allow
the man who has really offered to do
nothing that the register Is required
to exact of him, who is acting hon
estly but ignorantly, the right to go
and make his affidavit and get his
vote without complying with the state
law; and not only do you give him that
right, but you give him the right to
have 500 put in his pocket if he can
C ,nvict any one of these officials upon
that oath.
Let me 90 little further with this
bill. That is not all. Not only are
the $500 to be givcn to this common
informer, and to be given upon such
testimony as | have stated, but the
officer is also to be subject to indict-
menr and a further fine, and also to
be imprisoned ! aa5.w a..5 g-...-aa-,. {.
| And shall on conviction thereof be
fined not less than 500, and be i'm
prisoncd not less than one month and
not more than one year. y-fl'1 '-'. e.
Now, sir, let us come TO the fourth
section; p" -...-
That if any person by force, bribery
threats, intimidation, or Otherwise,
shall hinder, delay, prevent, or OBJ
struct, or attempt to hinder, delay,
prevent, or obstruct any citizen from
doing any act authorized by this act
to be done to qualify him to vote or
from voting at any election as afore-
said, such person shall for every such
ofense forfeit and pay the sum OF
$500 to the person aggrieved thereby
Here comes your $500 again to a
common iniormcr
to be recovered by an action on the
clse with full costs aud such allow
ance for counsel fees as the couri
shall deem just, and shall also for ev-
cry such ohense be guilty of misde-
meanor, aAd shall ON conviction there
Of, be fined not less than 5000, and
be imprisoned not less than one
month and not more than one year.
Here it is again $500 to the in,
former, $500 to the United States,
with Imprisonment added. g.
THE ABSURDITY AND VILLAINY
OF THE LAW.
| Now, look at the practical effect OF
such section as that. 1t says that
if any man shall, not simply hinder
or prevent. but eff ANYBODY shall by