The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-07-31
THE sEITz LAW.

Fair Warning To Candidates Before Conventions.
The following is the text Of the seItz Election
Law passed by the Legislature last winter to en-.
force the purity Of elections and conventions:
AN ACT supplemental TO an entitled An act TO
preserve the pnrity Of electionR."
SECTION /. Be Il enacted by the General Assembly
Of the State Of Ohio That 1t shall be unlawful for
any person who 10 candidate for any office Of
trust or profit under the Constitution or laws OF
this State or Of the United States TO loan, give d.
reetly or indirectly, offer, or promise W give, any
money or other thing OF value to any elect0r
within the district In which he Ia candidate for
the purpose OF influencing or retaining the vote OF
such ceclor or give or promise TO give to any per
son or persons any Of the above considerations of
value to secure or retain the influence Of such
person or persons IN his behalf as such candidate
or TO be used by any such person or persons TO In
Auence the vote Of any individual elector, or Of
electorslgeperally, or to influence him or them to
vote or refrain from voting provided that nothing
In this section shall be construed 10 apply to hos
pitality at his own residence. u
SEC. g. Any person found guilty Of any Of the
acts named In section one, shall be deemed guilty
OF bribery, and upon conviction thereof shall be
fined In any sum not less than $500, nor more than
81 900. or be imprisoned In the Penitentiary not
exceeding three wears; and ifsuch offender shall
have been elected TO the Office for which he was
o candidate, his Office shall be made vacant by
and such person ahall moreover, be forever incl
igible 10 any office of trust or profit within this
State
SEC. 8. Any person, not a candidate for office,
who shall dlsburse or give or promise to give any
money or other thing Of value, or gives, or treats
TO any spiTituous, malt or other liquors. either di
rectly or Indirectly, 10 influence any voter in CIV
ing, or Withholding his vote or seeks by violence
OF threats Of violence, or threatens to enforce the
payment of debt, or to begin criminal prose-
OutiOn nr fDiuun the hugnpgg trade Of
elector, or If any employer OF laborers, or agent
Of such employer, threatens to withhold or reduce
the wages, or to dismiss from service or refuses TO
allow the necessary time to employees to attend at
the place OF election and vote, as an inducement
to such eecor to vote contrary to his inclinalOns,
or any person selling or Offering 10 sell his iAtu
encs with other voters, or who, for or with any
consideration of value enumerated In section one,
shall seek to influence the vote of any elector, or
to influence him to vote or TO refrain from voting,
shall be deemed guilty Of felony, and, upon
conviction thereof, shall be fined in any sum not
less than 800 nor more than $4,000, or imprson-
ment in the PenitentiRry not more than three
years, at the discretion of the Court,
9Es A. Any candidate for nomination by any
political party in this State for any office Of trust
or profit, who shall commit any of the acts named
in section one Of this act, for the purpose of se-
curing the influence of any person in his behalf,
or to influence any delegate voting upon the ques.
tion Of his nomination, shall be deemed guilty Of
bribery and shall be fined not less than 500, and
shall be disqualified from holding the office
though he be thereafter elected according to law
The commission Of any of the acts named in sec
tion one, during the candidacy of such person fol
nomination for Office as aforesaid shall be prims
facie evidence Of intent to influence the votes Of
| delegates.
SEC. 8. That whoever asks, demands or receives
from any candidate for the nomination, by any
political party or convention to any office, or from
any candidate for any Office, under any law, any
money or other thing of value, not then due and
| owing, or makes application TO any such candi
| date to purchase any ticket to, or 10 give any
money or other thing of value for any pretended
ball, picnic fair, entertainment or charitable en-
terprise with the expectation or belief that such
| demand, request or receipt will influence any
| vote, shall be fined not less than $50 nor moIE
than $500, or imprisoned sixty days In the County
| Jail or Work.house, II there be such an institu
| ton 10 the county, or both. and such demand o.
request of any candidate shall be deemed pTima
| facie proof of such expectation and belief. M
prosecution shall be instituted under any Of the
| provisions Of this act unless the same shall b.
| commenced within six months after the Commih
| sion of the ohense.
SEC G. The Prosecuting Attorney may fran
his Indictment with any number of counts for du
ferent Offenses against this act that may be com
mitted to affect any one election,.by any one can
didate, and may offer revidence tending to supper
any or all Of said counts, and the jury shall TAX
into consideration all the evidence offered on eacl
| of the said counts for the purpose of establish
ing the guilt Of the accused on all or any Of satt
counts,
SEC 4 This act shall take effect and be In forc
from and after its passage.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
| JABEZ W. FITCH,
| President of the Senate
Passed May !, 1879.