Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-01-29
The Editor OF the starl<e County
Ledger, Indicted.

At the last term of the Circuit Court,
in Stark county, the highly intellectual
and profoundly learned editor of the
Stark County Ledger was indicted, before
the Grand Jury, for signing two petitions
for license, under the new law, to sell
liquors, when he was not q bona fde citi-
zen or resident of the county. Extract
from the law: "And it further provides
that any person not legal voter in said
ward, town or township, who shall sign
said petition = shall be fined
not less tlan fifty nor more than one
hundred dollars, for each signature so
made p" Now, perhaps he did not know
that he was violating the law, notwith-
standing he had published extracts from
it in his little paper. Or, perhaps he
thought the people of this county were
too ignorant to notice the matter, and he
would carry little water on both shoul-
ders-better say sohisky on one and water
on the other-and thus gain favor, and
become what he is not, nor never can be
Tin this community popular. But when
the petitions were presented to that Hon.
Board of County Commissioners, at its
December term, some one saw his name
on the petitions, and knowing that he
was liable, as he was not voter in this
county, informed him of his danger in the
pro,nscoo Tbo,, ;t ,ra, tl>.< a.. ...
earth shook, trembled and quaked On its
very foundation, under the tread of that
mighty man, as he rushed to the court
house. When there he seized the pen,
his deadly weapon to everything moral
and elevating, and scratched his name off
the petitions. However, it was too late,
for one of the petitions had already been
acted upon, and passed by the Board of
Commissioners. But there were men
present who objected to this naodus oper-
dndt. He then sought to propitiate the
Commissioners by the gift of q bottle of
wine and box of cigars. These men
were not bought; at least, his name re-
mains on the auditors books and the be.
tltions are On file. The indictment being
quashed, owing to some irregularity or in
formality in getting up the papers, by the
deputy prosecuting attorney, and some
little time now having elapsed, the editor
of the high-toned sheet has plucked up
heart of grace, and now comes out in the
last issue of his paper with the astound-
ing intelligence that he has been resi-
dent of this place (Knox) for two wears
past, and that he could have voted here
at any time if he had felt so disposed
Truly, "where ignorance is bliss It's folly
to be wise" I've have intended to
make this our home for some ,ime," he
says, and the constitution and the law
gives us the right to select our domicile." )"
That is very true, Mr. Editor. The law
does give YOU the right to select your
domicile; but 1t does not give YOU the
right nor the privilege of having your
domicile in this and another county at
the same time. Domicile" is nearly
synonymous with home," and a man
can not lawfully have two homes Now,
the editor of the Stark County Ledger is
lawyer, at least he says he is, yet
want to tell him that the supreme court
has decided that residence any length
of time in any county, even on business,
Is no abandonment of former domicile,
and gives no domicile in the county where
such temporary sojourn is made, and con-
sequenily, no right to VOTE In short,
Mr.. Editor of the Ledger, you cannot gain
residence away from your family, cspec-
tally when you support and visit them as
a husband and parent. Therefore, let me
advise you not To do as friend told me
you Intended to do, vote here at the next
election, living as you do, or YOU will
think that the way of the transgressor is
hard, instead Of the intormer" as you
have it. In conclusion would ssy that
il there is much more said about this mat
ter OF indictment, We will yet see whether
you have right to vote, or even sign 4
petition that required the signatures of
legal voters. Remember taere will be
another grand jury sometime, or if there
is not, we would say that there is suffici-
ent backbone about that fellow that
holds certain Office to carry the thing
through, for it is not too lstc yet; and thai
an affidavit of information will be filed
without a grand jury and a true bill found
and the editor of the Stark County Ledge,
fined at least one hundred dollars.
ResppcffiIfIv prrr