The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-11-19
THE PROHIBS FAIL
TO FILE THEIR STATEMENTS
WITH TIE COUNTY CLERK.
Amenabie to the Garfield Law If Any
one Desires to Take Action and the
Law Is Declared Constitutional
by the Courts.

Law Is DeCIaFeu
by the Courts.
Several candidates for county offices,
on the Prohibition ticket, seem to be Of
the opinion that because they did not get
many votes, didn't expect many and
sought none personally, save for the cause
they represent, that they need not comply
with the Garfield law and file statement
Of what it cost them TO run for office.
They have failed TO comply with the law,
and would, of course, be amenable to it
II any one were to take action or make
such complaint as would insure action
The law reads as follows:
Section 4. Every person who shall be
a candidate at any election for any public
office which under the constitution or law
Of this state is to be filled by popular
election, or for the office of representative
In the congress Of the United States, shall,
within ten days after the election held to
fill such office, make out statement in
writing and file the same with the clerk
of the county in which he resides and
make out and file duplicate thereof
with the board, officer or officers, II any,
empowered by law to issue the certificate
Of election to such Office or place. Such
statement shall set forth In detail each
and all sums Of money and other things
of value contributed, disbursed, expended
or promised by him, and Ito the best of
his knowledge and belief) by any other
person or persons by his procurement, in
his behalf, wholly or in part In endeavor-
ing to secure or in any way in connection
with his election to such office or place.
Section 8. Any person failing to COM
ply with the provisions Of this law shall
be liable to fine not exceeding 81 900,
to be recovered with costs in All action
brought in the name Of the State, by the
attorney general or by the prosecuting at
torney of the county of the candidates
residence, the amount of the fine to be
fixed within such limit by the jury and
to be paid into the school fund of said
county.
All other candidates save those on the
Prohibition ticket complied, and iona
M. Bye, candidate for coroner on the
Prohibition ticket, has filed a statement,
but he didn't file 1t until Monday morn
ing November 16), three days later than
required by law. Mr.. Bye simply says in
his statement: Nothing disbursed;
nothing promised. He did not want to
file statement at ell, as ne said he was
in no sense candidate, and that his
name was used without his consent He
was informed that the law would look
upon him as g candidate in all proba-
bility, as his name was on the ticket and
he received some votes, so he filed the
statement. He is too late, however, and
1t Is question as to whether he would
better not have fled 1t at all. BY not
filing it, he would be no worse off than
by filing 1t, as he filed 1t too late to COM
ply with the provisions of the law, and in
hling IL furnished furthsr prima facie
evidence that he was a candidate. The
others who failed to comply with the law
would simply come in under It's pro-
visions il any one cares to enforce it, and
Mr.. Bye would doubtless find himself in
with the other
1t will be observed that the penalty in
cludes the costs and that the limit of the
lne is to be "fixed by the jury That
would signify that jury must be en-
paneled, and that would, of course, run
the costs up to neat figure, even IL the
flne were made but 81 and not 81 200, as
It might be. 1t would not be case where
5he offender could go before court and
plead guilty, thus reducing the cost to
for the court could hardly, |
1nder the law, hx the limit, when the |
aw reads that the limit shall be "fxed |
BY the jury" all of which means that |
t would take fine little figure to square
up for noncompliance.
Prosecutor Bow is not In the city and |
what action will be taken cannot there !
lore be determined until he returns. A
'eport that the Law and Order League
would go after the Prohibitionists could
lot be authenticated at the time of going
20 press, though there Is some references in |
he law to "a limit" and it is quite
,alpable that those who didn't file state |,
merits within ten days are not beyond the |
dead -line.''
CTDA ID nION