The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-10-04
gGistellaneuns.
THE BALLOT-BOX
Shall Our Elections be Pure /?
Several Acts of fhe Legislature ReIa-
ting Thereto.

{ Shall Our Elections be Pure
Several Acts of;he Legislature ReIa
ting Thereto.
] For ihe fret time in Luc history O
> Hancock county,we believe, the puri'
ty of elections ore in danger. In
: fact, we have p.Oof-abundsnt and
: convincing prcot that men have
been brought from fher counties,
osteIsibly loC The purpose OF working
upon the railroad, but really fer the
purpose Of carrying the county and
, overriding the will o; our people.
Will the voters OF this county allow
this subversion Of their rights? Will
they SLOW the practices that prevail
in the purlieus and slums of our
large cities to be introduced in our
county? We sppeal 70 them-not
as Republicans, 70. IS Demccrats-
but as good citizens, who place Law,
Order, Right far above partiz IN tri-
. umph, 10 arise il their might aud re-
buke these who would attempt such
Infamous conduct. A pure ballot
box is the safeguard Ct our Repub-
lie, and Hancock county one week
from next Tuesday will Lave an op-
portulity TO show that they love
Right mere than Party by allowipg
not one illegal vote to contaminate
the bsllot-box.
For the information of voters we
propose 10 rolice some provisions OF
our present election law.
JUDGES OF ELECTIONS.
We notice thai there is in many
places a great misconstruction of the
Act of April II, 1870, which gives
minority representation in election
boards. Section 6, or such a part
Of the section as is applicable to all
cases in Cur county, reads as fol-
lows:
Section 6. That the Judges of
election, for every election precinct,
at sll elections holden under this act,
or the acts amendatory thereof, or
supplementary thereto, shall be cho-
sen and constituted as follows, to
wit:
7 FrSt-In every township, and for
the township election precinct there
in, said Judges shall consist of the
two electors, receiving, hereafter, at
any general April election, the high
est number OF rotes for the office of
trustee Of such township, and tie
elector receiving thereat the highest
number Of votes for said office, of
those not elected thereto: provided,
if, of those elected township trustees,
at any election, two have an equal,
hut not The highest, or, if the three
have the same, or, an equal number
of votes, for said oflice, then, In every
such event, the township clerk shall,
without delay, publicly determine, by
lot, which of said two, or
which two of said three go cleo
ted, or which one OF those not
elected, but receiving votes as afore.
said (ss the case or cases may IT,
quire), shall be judge or judges of
election. If any township comprise
more such precincts than one, the
trustee thereof not chosen as afore
said, shall be one of the judges of
election for one such precinct, where
of The other two,as well as the judges
of election for any additional town
ship precinct, situate wholly or part
ly in such township, shall be chosen in
the manner provided in section seven
of this act. The clerk of every town.
ship shall make and preserve a rec
ord of the names Of all persons, with
proper dates, chosen judges of elec.
ton as aforesaid in such townships.
Should any or all of the judges of
election fail to be present Section 7,
oftbe same act provides as follows ::
Section 7. That if either of the
judges OF election, or clerk Of any
township, shall fsil to attend at the
time and place OF holding elections,
or if either OF them shall be a candi-
date for state or county Office, then
it shall be the duty of electors pres
ent TO choose, viva voce, sni.cbie
persons, (as the case may require),
having the qualifications of electors,
10 act as judges or cleaks, (as the
case may be }, of election; and pre-.
vious 10 Eny votes being received,
such judge or clerk, or an judge or
clerk not Being already duly sworn,
and qualified according to law, shall
take an oath or sffirmation, which
msy be administered by any trustee
or clerk ofs township, or councilman,
or other person authorized to admin
lister oaths, in the following form:
"You, A. B., do solemnly swear (or
affirm that you will perform the du-
ties OF judge or clerk of election, (ss
the case may be), according to law
and the best OF your ability; and
that you will studiously endeavor TO
prevent fraud, deceit or abuse in con-
Quoting the same"
We have always believed that in
making the above law our Legislators
intended to give representation to
both polilica! parties; but it will be
seen that there are cases in which it
does net do SO. For instance, in
Findlay toBnship,in 1871, our Demo
cratic friends succeeded in electing
Mr.. E. Birnd, Dem., over Mr.. Sto-
ker, Rep, and yet under the clause
in the above section making a judge
of "the elector receiving the Eighesl
number of votes for ssid office o.
those not elactei thereto. Mr. Stoker
was compelled to act as Judge OF the
election. Again, St the April election,
our Democratic friends supported
fusion ticket, placing thereon MIR.
K. S Baker, Rep, who received the
highest number of votes, and by viz
tue of the same clause Mr.. Baker be-
comes the judge with Mr. Biggs and
Mr.. Engleman the Republicans
elected.
We merely give the above facts to
show that the law does not give rep
resentslion 10 both parties in sll
cases. We are sorry that it does
not do so. The office is s very re-
sponsible and important one, and
none but men of the most undoubt-
ed integrity should be chosen for the
position.
WHO ARE YoTETs,