The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1871-03-10

! isa I3fft Ats4l y - r Deea ellac ~ ]
oua b Corgrs enforeing lie rro
Visions Of the Fifteenth Ame tinobt |
beother in the Ohio Legislature,
TO primary elections, both
haFiag fsr their object 5 brewer j
ton ef fFauds and the ifosn otion of .
purity in the ballot. Heretofore,
party primary meetings have been |
epndueteda entirelyA without legal I
control, subject 10 The Unrestricted 1
manipulations Of the party wire
.pullers-, Without official inspectors,
or record of voters. u right of chal-
lenge, or imposition Of Oaths, priula- |
rv elections lave BEEN fopen "a 81 |
manner Of frauds. and + is not I!
strange that beg have become the
cesspool OF political corrupton-the
.oGanse and scandal of our political
system. frequently determining the
results Of the elections for which it
provides the candidates, the 'cauens'
Is Of too much importanee to be left
the prey Of The lowest politicians.
The refusal of the solid and good
men Of the party to participate in
primary meetings. has been largely
due to the Irresponsible character of
these meetings, the absence ofregu-
latiOn and the impossibility of ex-
Guiding outsiders and eht0rcing an
orderly vote. This obstacle is now
happily removed, aud it will be the
fault of none bnt themselves if the
best elements of either party fail to
make their infaence fully felt In the
selection Of candidates for their suf-
frages.
The new law provides for the hold
ing Of primary meetings under regu-
istions similar 70 those which gov
ern general elections. The notice
Of such election may specify the
qualifications Of such persons to
vote thereat; inspectors are to be
appointed and regular pol lists kept;
provision is made for Challenging,
and administering osths; bribery
and Inflammation arc. forbidden, and
due penalties are affixed for the yio-
lation Of the act. We endorse the
law as furnishing a much needed
remedy for the Irregularities of pri-
mary meetings, snd as offering faeil7
tiles for q fair and honest selection
of candidates. The law, however,
is not binding except in cases where
its provisions are accepted and spe-,
cifc notice given in the call that the
election is TO be held under the law.
The enforcement act passed byCon
9ress 10 secure greater freedom and
purity ut the ballot-box, isa measure
Of urgent necessity promising the
best results, particularly in those sec
tions which have lately been the
scene Of notorious disorder and fraud.
TheDemo emoeratie.senators fllibustered
against its passage, and the Demo-
cratic press deneunce the bill in IN
measured terms as despotic and lnfa-
nous; the death blow TO State rights
and popular liberty. The ostensible
ground Of opposition in the first
place, was the unconstitutionality of
of the employment Of military at the
call of the United States Marshal;
but when that provision was stricken
out by the House, the Democratic
Opposition and denunctation did not
abate in the least, OF course the
party which holds the fifteenth
amendment null and void, cannot be
expected to be IN love with law en-
foeing its provisions. And the 0ni-
mus Of its position reveals the fear
of grest party loss in case tho law
goes into effect. Senator Casserly
made a slight mistake when be prog
nosticated that "the bill would prove
either the death-warrant of the Re
publican party or of the liberties of
the country" The Republican par
4ty has nothing to fear from the mul-
duplication ofdefenses TO the ballot
box. It courts the strictest regula-
tons, the most watchful execution
Of elections. Its interest lies in the
direction Of a free, fair aud honest
vote. Its power has been used both
in Congress, in State Legislativeand
under the national executive for the
pI election and against the violation
of the ballot box, Its registration
laws in many States have done much
for the purity Of elections; ard the
much abused military interference
of the Government in the South was
absolutely necessary to procure for
the freedmen the exercise of the fran
chise newly conferred upon them.
And everybody knows that the mere
presence of United States troops
within call, without a single soldier
appearing on the streets Of New
York, was enough to restrain knaEes
and rue1ans who control elections in
that city, from their customary ex-
cess of frauds. The fact is, no per
son not having a corrupt interest in
ballot-box stufiug, repeating, or 9th.
er fraudulent devices for the carry
ing Of elections, can object to the
general provisions of the bill Just
passed by the Senate.-CSeveland
Leader.