The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-01-12

There Is nothing more important than
the ballot. 1t goes before everything else,
The Government rests upon it, and its
character Is determined by 1t, We have
no other sovereign power or expression,
There is no greater political crime than
It's suppression or corruption. There ia
out one equal crime, and that Is iudiHer-
snCs' to such outrages. Either is treason
Ia effect, and both ought to be in law.
There never was greater need than now
for this to be remembered by the legisla.
i've body Of this State. Evil Is always
contagious. Iipermitted to succeed In one
place, It's tendency Is 10 quickly spread to
Ill places, Accordingly, the question Of
Tree ballot and fair count, until recently
unknown among US, has become living
Issue In Ohio.
The outrages perpetrated at our elections
In 1884 were not the first Of these et1enses,
but they are mentioned because they had
,ne good effect. They aroused sense OF
luty that secured the enactment OF a reg
stration law applicable to the cities OF
Cincinnati and Cleveland. II was hoped
this measure would prevent these evils,
out We have been disappointed. The Rd.
litional safeguards thus thrown about the
elective franchise seemed only to widen
;he range, increase the determination
and quicken the ingenuity Of this class Of
criminals. AS u consequence we have
witnessed not only false voting and false
counting, but also false registration, false
.allies, false certificates, false returns and
9Ysry other species Of falsehood, frsdd and
forgery. No suCh bold, bare-laced vii.
,iany has ever been known In the history
II our elections as confessedly was praC.
ttced at the last October elections In the
cities Of Cincinnati and Columbus. II
there Is anything worse than the fact that
the scoundrels who p0rpetrated II are uu.
punished and likely 10 remain 80, It IL
that there should appear to be. no judicial
oower to prevent the contamination oi
their iniuulties. II 1t be true that our
laws are such thata Canvassing officer 10
Jompslled, or can elect, to give effect 10
evident aud acknowledged fraud and
forgery In defiance OF right aud oil the
authority Of the COURTS, then indeed Is
there need to change the laws. Such an
official should DO moro than q mere
lutonaton and considerably less than an
,mperious autocrat. The time has come
to put s!op to such troubles, and the
people Of the State, without regard to
political differences, expect a. your hands
such legislation as will have this eject.
The repatriation law referred to has been
held unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court, but only because the provisions for
the registration OF voters woro deemed
unreasonable. The objection Is easily
overcome, aud II is recommended that
another auCh law be enacted.
HOARD or ELECTION supRRyGsoRS.
While considering this subject, It is do.
sired to make another recommendation.
Most Of these frauds to which attention
has bsen called, have bsen committed
either blythe judges aud clerks of the
election, or with their conuivance. 1t is
notorious fact that while many OF these
officials are worthy and competent men,
vet many others are OF bad character and
entirely unfit for such trusts. II only hon.
est aud inteli men OF known good char.
scter were allowed 10 fll these positions,
auch violations ot law would be impos.
sibIe. They would rarely, II at all, be at
tempted. II is recommended, therefore,
that while providing for q registration sys-
tenn. you also revise our election laws as
10 ilieir proYisionp for tho selection OF
iudpes and clerks, and secure the selec-
don OF only good men for these places by
providing ior the appointment by some
suitable authority OF "a board OF
election commissioners or supervisors
for oil such oitlss as the
lisw, in your Judgement. should be
applicable to, TO consist oil four to six
members, ,or any other number as you
may deem best, whose duty II shall bo 70
appoint the judges and clerks for each
voting precinct, Both poll tlOal parties
should be represented, and equally, In
this board, and II should be further pro.
ylded that no person so appointed by this
board should be excused from such SER
-yice except for GAUGE approved by the
hoard, There is quite aS much necessity
10 reouiro this duty from citizen ~
thaSe d 10 compel him to serve IS Juror.
This matter must be dealt with earnestly.
Unless we can have free sld fair cleo
tions there will come serious trouble. The
citizens Of Ohio will not long quietly tol.
crate reign Of fraud.
fnasmuCh as these evils are confined
almost entirely to our large cities, their
consideration will naturally bring to your
minds the general problem Of
gDStctrAL 0oyERSMHNT.
How TO govern our cities 10 a different
Question. It's importance 10 continually
Increasing, There has been but little
satisfactory experience In our country
scarcely any in our Stats We have ap.
psrentiy gone steadily FROM bad to Worse.
Come Of our largest Cities furnish striking
examples Of how bad city governmental
can become. Their toleration by,their
citizens shows either remarkable pAti.
hnAe, or al almost incredible Indifference.
nat whether II DO patience or Ind Inference,
enlightened sentiment demands change
Tor the better, This 10 not q lt occasion
ior ihe discussion Of this matter, but II ID
desired 10 refer 70 one feature Of The gen.
eral subject, aud express the belief that Y
Is bad policy 10 multiply elective boaIdl,
that are not fesponsible TO, OF controlled
by, any higher authority, and distribute
among them the administrative functions
aud powers Of 0ut municipalities.
There arc many 0bitCtl6ns 10 Iu1b a ByB.
tenn. Thero b t6oiFequently a conflict IN.
stead Of oihattnohy Of 6Ction. To illustrate
what 9 board Of public works may do ID
improve slEeet Is quite often BttAightRAy
uhdjne by board pt water wotkg COM
missioner 10 lay water plpes, OF BY some
other authority, 10 do something elsa, OIL
Al the expense Of the taxpayers, and "a
HE groet jlcomioft Of the public. A iar.
tEef objection d this, The more such
b0afds there are tbe les lmpoLlAnL inasl
f1onll1vid on Third Pddt1 - p