Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-08-16
TIE sTATEELEcToN LAWS.

hi SlAlE kLElIlUN LAWS.
THE HERALD is in receipt of numer-
Gus requests to republish the law pass
ed at the recent session of the Legis-
latu.e, governing elections and nomi
mating conventions in this State. Now
that the convention season is here
every voter and candidate should |
carefully study the provisions of the
act, which are as followa:
/. That any person being candi-
date for nomination to any Office of
profit or trust under the constitution |
or laws of this State, or of the United |
States, before any convention held by 4
any political party, or at any primary .
election, who loans, pays or gives, or
promises to loan, pay or give any |
money or other thing of value. TO any |
delegate; or who furnishes or pays |
the transportation or expenses of any |
delegate to any convention, for the
purpose of securing the vote or influ-
ence of such delegate for his nominal |
/ ton and whoever hires or otherwise |
employs for consideration, any person |
to work for the nomination of any
person to any Office or to work for the
selection of any delegate to be chosen
at any party conventiu or primary
election, shall, upon conviction there
of, be fined not less than three hun
dred dollars nor more than one thous-
and dollars, and confined in the coun-
ty Jail not less than thirty days nor
more than six months.
2. Whoever, being candidate for
any office, loans or gives, directly or
indirectly or offers or promises to
loan or give any money, or other
things of value, to any elector, for
the purpose of influencing or retain
I ing the vote of such elector, or induce
such elector to work or labor for the
election of such candidate, or TO re.
frain from working or laboring for
the election of any other candidate;
or to any person to secure or to retain
the influence or vote of such elector,
in his behalf as such candidate, or TO
be used by such person in any way to
influence the vote of any elector, or
of electors generally, for himself or
any candidate or any ticket; and
whoever hires of otherwise employs
for consideration any person to work
at the polls on election day, for the
election of any candidate, to be voted
for at such election, on conviction
thereof shall be fined not less than
$500 nor more than 81 200, and shall
be confined in the county jail moi less
than thirty days nor more than six
months.
3. Any person who shall give or offer
to give, directly, or indirectly any
money, property, or other thing of
value, to any elector 10 influence his
vote at any regular election, held in
this State pursuant to law; or who
shall aid, advise, counsel or suggest
| to any person, or to persons generally
to use or procure any money or other
means to be used to induce, hire, or
buy any person or persons TO vote or
refrain fom voting for any candidate
or candidates, or to remain away from
| the polls at any election, whether or
not any such person shall act or at
tempt to act upon any such counsel,
advice or suggestion, shall be guilty
of misdemeanor, and upon convic-
tion thereof, shall be fined not less
than three hundred dollars, and nor
more than one thousand dollars, and
shall be confined in the county Jail
not less than thirty days nor more
than six months.
4. Any person who shall, directly
or indirectly, give, offer or promise
TO give, to any elector, any money,
property or other thing of value, for
the purpose of preventing, influence
ing or inducing or procuring such
eleetor to refrain from voting or to
remain away from the polls at any
election held under the laws of the
State, shall be guilty of INSIDE
meanor, and upon conviction thereof
shall be fined not less than three hun
dred dollars or more than one thous-
and dollars, and shall be confined in
the county Jail not less than thirty
days nor more than six months.
5. Any person not duly authorized
by law, who shall, during the pro-
gress of any election in this State, or
after the closing of the polls and be-
fore the ballots are counted and the
result ascertained, or within six
months thereafter, break open or vio-
late the seal or locks of any ballot box,
paper envelope, or bag, in which bal
lots have been deposited at or after
such election, or who shall obtain
possession of such ballot box, paper,
envelope, or bag, containing such
ballots, and cancel, withhold, or de.
stroy such ballots, or who shall fraud
ulently or forcibly add to or dimin-
ish the number of ballots legally de-
posted therein, or who shall fraud
ulently make any erasure or altera-
ton of any kind, upon any tally
sheet, poll book, list of voters, or
election returns deposited therein,
shall be guilty of felony, and upon
conviction thereof, shall be confined
in the penitentiary not less than one
year nor more than three years.
6. 1t shall be the duty of the Judge
of the circuit court, at every term
thereof, to give this act in special
charge TO the grand jury.
7. Every person called as wit
ness to any violation of any of the
provisions Of this act, shall be com.
PEELED to testify fully, but his testi-
mony shall not be given in evidence
against him in any prosecution for
such offense.
s. Nothing in this act shall be so
construed as to prevent the employ
ment of political speakers in any
campaign, or to prevent the holding
of political demonstrations, or the
distribution or circulation of cam
paign documents and literature for
party purposes.