The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1870-06-07


you put it in the power of wicked men
ormen who are ignorant and those who
use ignorant men for their PURPOSES
Take negro who cannot read or write
/ How easy it is to persuade that man tha
he has appeared before the registrar anC
offered to do : all that was necessary tc
eptitle him to vote, when in poiut of fac
'Ihe would have no clear distinct knowl
edge of anything he was to do at all il
i the premises; and yet you allow the mar
who has really offered to do nothing
that the register is required to exact o.
/ him, who is acting honestly but igno
rantly, the right to go and make his affi
.ldayit and get his vote without complying
: Witt, the State law; and not only do yor
4 give him that right, but you give. him the
right to have $500 put in his pocket il
he can convict any one of these officials
upon that oath. ...4...-. 49, -.
/ Let me go a little further with this bill
4 That is not all Not only ore the $500
| to be given to the common informer and
to be given upon such testimony rs
have stated, but the officer is also to be
4 subject to indictment and a further fine
and also to be imprisoned:
\ "And shall, on conviction thereof, be
tined not less than $500, and be impris
oned not less than one month and moi
more Than one year. . 49,.
/ Now, sir, let us come to the fourth
section: ast..a f.41.a
That II any person by force, bribery
threats Intimidation, or otherwise, shall
ninder, delay, prevent, or obstruct or at
tempt to hinder delay, prevent, or OBJ
strIct any citizen from doing any ac'
alltnorizea py this act TO be done to
quali'y MN 70 vote or rom voting ~
any eleceon as aforesaid, such person
shall Tor every such ofiense forfeit and
pay the sum OF Saoo to the person az
grleved thereby
/ Here comes your 5000 again to com
mon inlormer-
Ito be recovered by an action on the
lease with iuii costs and such allowance
!of counsel ices as the court shall deem
lustana shai' also tor every such offense
oe shley OF d mlsaemeanor' ana snail
On conviction tnereoi' be lined not less
THAN Sooo, and be imprisoned not less
than one month and not more than one
year .a
here II is again: sa0o to tue inform
CT, S9oo to the United States, with I'M
prsonment added. Now, look at the
practlcai enect OF such a section as that.
lt says, II any man shall, not SIMPLY
hinder or prevent, but "if anybody shall,
ny force, bribery, threats, Intimidation,
or otherwise shall hinder" dc. ! should
like to. know what that otherwise
means? Oar learned judiciary Com
mittee, in drawing up criminal statute,
uses such language as this, shat if any
person by force, bribery, threats, intimi-
dation, or otherwise shall hinder, delay,
prevent, Or obstrnct;;. that Is to say, II
persuade my friend Carpenter not to
vote a. all am liable to pay him $500,
and, to pay. 5000 to the United States,
and to be imprisoned. Ii | persuade
him, if reason with him, and say to
him, "Come, now,do not let you and me
vote and by my persuasion, by my
otherwise" | hinder or prevent him
from voting on that occasion, forsootl,
am liable to be indicted under this sec
ton, and also to pay him $500, with
costs and such counsel fees as the court
1 may prescribe. Or if | persuade him to
pair off with me and | then vote, and in
that way should humbug him, by break
ing my pair, should then be subject to
this penalty. If | broke my pair, ]
should deserve to be punished, | admit
4 but do not think this is the way In
which to do it. This is criminal stat
ute. which provides for Furnishing a man
for hindering or otherwise preventing
persons from voting. But that is no,
all. 1t extends to all who shall hinoer
or prevent, "or attempt to hinder, delay,
or obstructp =.
i What certainty of description! What
certainty there is in such an ofense as
thatLs What is the attempt to hinder or
prevent ! should like to know what is
the attempt to delay. If | undertake to
reason with q man as he goes to the
polls that he ought to vote for A Is In
stead of 9 d, and we stop on the road
side and reason the matter, talk 1T over,
and that delays the man, | suppose il
they can make out that l did it with Q
bad motive that would be held to be an
attempt to delay the man from voting.
i What is the punishment for that? IL
/ attempt in that way to delay or hinder
a man from voting, the man is entitled
to $500 for it,and | must be indicted and
pay $500 to the United States and go tc
! prison besides. Does not everybody
J see that it puts men completely in the
power of the unscrupulous What man
lpray, is safe, with such statute as this
There is no man against whom some bao
, man cannot swear, if disposed to make
, money out of him, some ofense under
, this bill. Here. is a reward of $500 fol
!, false swearing There is no man against
whom such villain may not swear thai
he attempted TO hinder or delay or pre-
vent his voting. You put men com
pletely at the mercy of those who swear
falsely, and add the inducement to swear
falooly of S5(lf INTO thair ppckptS Thai