The indicator., 1904-12-03

the count. 1t mas Deen stated tC
the judges that some straight bal
lots of one political party were
placed in one pile and the straight
ballots of the other party were
placed in pile and by some leg
erdemain both piles got together
and they were counted for one
political party as straight ballots.
That you must investigate, and
if needed to discover whether
there is anything in the charge
it may be your duty to send for
all the books and papers and the
ballot box itself and open the
same.
Beyond that, gentlemen, | de
sire to call your attention to a
great and growing evil, an evil
which is becoming greater every
year, and that is the expenditure
of immense sums of money in
our general election. 1t is an out
rage. | am informed that one of
the political parties in the recent
campaign in this county, with a
limited number OF votes to be cast
expended over $4,000. This
money cannot be legitimately
spent. OF course, there are al
ways legitimate expenses in ev-
cry campaign. Those should be
met. But they call for no such
expenditure as this. 1t has come
to be that a poor man cannot run
for office. | charge this jury that
they make diligent inquiry into
all expenditures made by politi-
cal parties or persons. twill be
your duty to send for such per-
sons as may be able to give you
information on this subject. 1t
is within your power to call in
the chairman and executive COM
mittee OF both parties to learn
how much money was spent, how
it was spent and what it was
spent for. And if you find that
any OF it was used for corruption
or bribery or for improper pur-
poses, it will be your duty to re-
turn indictments against the per
sons guilty of the same.
AN individual member OF the
grand jury has the right to give
information to the grand jury
any violations of the law
but he must give his information,
as any other witness, upon his
oath. 1t is your privilege to send
for such persons as you may de
sire. Any persons that you may
think have information touching
the matter you are charged with
investigating you may issue pro-
cess for. You may send also for
any books or papers that may as
sist in your inquiries. Your in
vestigation is ex parte, You do
not sit for the purpose OF trying
cases, simply for the purpose OF
determining whether or not there
is proper case to be presented
to the court. 1t is not, therefore,
for you to hear any witnesses for
the defense or any party in his
own behalf. You are simply to
hear the testimony upon any vio-
lation of the law and if that tes-
timony is such that you, sitting
as petit jury upon the trial OF
any person would convict him,
then it is your duty upon that
testimony to return a true bill. 1t
requires the vote OF nine of you
to return bill.
knowing you, gentlemen, as
well as | do, | hardly think it
necessary for me to impress upon
you the Importance OF the duty
with which you are charged.
Ours is a popular government,
we are supposed to be governed
by the will OF the people, and the
will OF the people can be exercis-
ed only at the ballot box. When
ever the result OF the ballot box
is changed by fraud, corruption,
violence or intimidation, then it
is not the people, it is the I'M
scrupulous, the dishonest element
OF the people that speaks, be
cause it is only that kind OF peo-
pie that carry on such transac-
lions. And whenever these things
are permitted it is not the honest
and respectable who govern the
community. but it is the dishon-
est and INSCRIPTIONS. Every
and dishonest vote
which is cast on the day OF cleo
tion disfranchises the most rep
ltablc citizen in the community.
If some 1900 or 1000 such fraud
llcnt names are permitted upon
the registration lists and suffi-
cient number of voters be induc-
ed to vote then on the day OF cleo
ton, then the reputable part OF
the community takes no part
whatever in their government. 1t
S a government of repeaters and
must necessarily be for repeaters.
Il do not know how it may
strike you, gentlemen, but it strik-
IS me that the crime against the
ballot box or a political crime of
any character is blow against
he very institutions upon which
our government is founded. |
lon't see how any crime can be
more serious. am happy to be-
level may be wrong in the be-
ief-that this is the first time in
the history of this county that