Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-09-27
N ew Series-VOl. 17-No 81

. THESE lflGtt, tttuCc W
day. | had arrangements to mee
them on three different occasion
through the day, for the purpose o
seeing how they were getting on, ant
for the purpose Of knowing whethe
any of the men had got arrested II
their rounds. sr-,..
@. Suppose they had been arrested
what was the necessity OF meeting
b. them sboutii? .r
!, IVA. Well, ! was going to take then
, out On straw bail, as is usual In Cases
of that kind. G1 17
@. State whether or not among those
who reported at the Empire, was not
l Judge of election of the 2lst ward?
A. | have him frequently; not on
the day of election; the day before the
election. AL ,--[ ,tloaa
! Q. What conversation did you have
with in regard TO the election?
| A. Well, in regard to being judge OF
the election. ~, ,.,-. .,7.rir
@. What was that?
A. About trying to manipulate a
few votes, believe. Ls... ra ~
@. Were they manipulated? ~ i.
A. 1t was reported back to me that
they were. s.t-t
@. You have accounted for large
number of illegal votes cast in the First
precinct of the Fourth ward; now, if
that is so, how does 1t occur that the
vote In that ward was not as large at
that election as it had been at some
elections held previous to it?
A. That Is very easily accounted for.
q. Then how do you account for 1t?
A. Could not get to the ballOt-boxes
as well. sa
@ What do you mean by that?
A. That the Republican party had
judge we did not know. We did not
know the clork very well. His name
was Pierce, and we could not do any.
thing with him.
q. Suppose you could have got to
the Judge and clerk? |
A. We could have operated very
well without the judge, with the clerk
down there, the same as has been done
in that ward fifty times.
@. How?
A. Get them to write more names
on the tally sheets that there were bal.
lots in the box.
Q. Then what would you do?
A. Find out the names on the tally
sheets more than there were ballots
put in the box, have tickets already
prepared and folded-make bastle-
and then manage to get the tickets in
the box. ......z
Q. Wo'd not that be very hard to do?
A. No, sir, perfectly easy to do with
two judges. ,lsr OH
@. That is why the Fourth ward
gave such nice majority? .rs
A. Yes, sir.
On oss-examination he said:
A. gave Fairchild $500, Burns
$500, and Gleason $3.50.
Q. Did you keep any list OF any oil
the names?
A. No, sir. did not. 1t is not ne
cessary, i'm piece of rascality like that,
always to print ii up.
1t was i'm view of these facts that the
Legislature of Ohio, in which the Re-
publicans were majority, enacted a
law for the registration of voters, of
which .the Democratic party, by its
platform, now demands the immedi-
ate repeal, without suggesting any i'm
provement, amendment, or substitute.
! 1t suggests that the law is burdepsome.
On the 7th dsy of May last, the en-
actment of this law was accomplished
against the violent opposition of the
| Democratic members of the Legisla-
ture. This law provides that no per-
son shall be allowed to vote unless he
shall have been resident of the State
one year, and of the county 800 days,
and of the township, or village, 355
days, provided that he may vote on 8
residence in the State OF one year, in
the county of thirty days, and in the
township of twenty days, if he shall
be registered accoding to this law. Old
residents, therefore, known to the COM
mLnity in which they have lived may
vote without registering; but new ones
and strangers who have recently come
into the county, township, or ward,
and such voters as Ephraim Holland
imported, must register. The regis
tering SIS perfectly easy; it only re-
quires the sworn statement before the
register of the voters former place OF
residence, when he moved, the pre-
cinct in which he wishes to vote. and
where in that precinct he now resides.
The time is designated for his appear
ance before the register ,and two weeks
before the election day the registers are
to have list of the registered voters
M ide out, and posted up where they
can be seen, so that all who are inter
ted in having the list correct, can ex-
anime them, and make their objec-
tons; afft r ing time also to investigate
the truth or the fal5ehOOd of the state
ments made by those who have been
registered. Now, l ask, what reasona-
BILE objection can any honest man make
to such a requirement, especially in
view of the enormous frauds to which
the ballot is exposed, and to which ii
has been subjected iu this State? This
NAV not be the best form in which
such an act can be framed. But on
what principle can any party with q
Just appreciation of the great right oi
suffrage, in free government, ask FOL
it's absolute repeal? This plain, pal
pable issue between the two great par
ties, and presents strong and valid
reason why you should vote against Q
party which, after availing itself of ex-
tepsive frauds on the ballot-box, oppo-
Is reasonable legislation for prevent
ing and detecting like frauds In the fu-
ture.
Complaint is made by the Democrat
ic politicians that the registration law
REQUIRES that registers should be free
holders. 1t is probable that the inser-
ton of this word "freeholders" was by
inadvertence. 1t was an unnecessary
Limitation, but was not calculated t.
defeat the efficiency of the law. 1t was,
! however, no more necessary in this
case than would be a similar qualifica-
tion required for juror. 1t can easily
be medded by dropping that word. II
works no special harm rs it is, but may
be regarded as invidious, and should.
| therefore, be stricken out by amend
ment. l presume it was the mistake OF
some one who drafted the bill, and may
have been copied from some other Law
creating boards for other purposes.
It is not, however, to amend the act
which the Democratic party demand
They demand, by their Platform, its
immediate repeal, without proposing
to substitute anything for it, or to