The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-06-13
MEN COMPELLED TO VOTE.
Extra Taxes For Negligent Virgin.
ians over a Century Ago.

In the clerks Office in Mecklen-'
burg | find an old copy of the Acts
Iof the General Assembly of Virginia,
, says a writer In Richmond Times
Despatch. In 1t an act is found pass
cd by the Assembly on Dec. 20, 1855,
which requires all persons entitled to
vote to do so. This is the bill. Amy
elector qualified according to this Act,
falling to attend any annual election
OF Delegate or of Senator. and IL a
POLL be taken to give or offer to give
his vote, shall pay one-fourth of his
portion of all such levies and taxes
as shall be assessed and levied In his
county the ensuing year. And for dis
| covering such defaulters, the sheriff
or other officer taking the poll shall
within ten days after the said cleo
ton, deliver to the clerk of the coun-
| ty or corporation court, as the case may
be. copy OF the poll by him taken,
TO be kept in his office, who shall
suffer and candidate or elector to take
hereby directed TO cause a copy OF the
same to be delivered to the next
Grand Jury, to he sworn for the
county corporation who shall be
charged by the presiding magistrate,
/ to make presentment of all such per-
sons qualified to vote residing in the
said county or corporation. who shall
have failed to have given their votes
at the said election, agreeable to law.
And for the better information OF the
said jury, the sheriff of the county
is hereby commanded, under penalty
Of $50, to be recovered and appropri-
ated as the penalties for other neglects
Of his duty, to lay before them a list
OF all the landholders resident there
In"
There are filed In the clerks office
many certified excuses to the court tor
failure to vote, begging to be excused,
by voters who had been indicted for
failure to vote. Some OF these ex-
cuses are novel. as we'll as amusing
One fellow writes that election was
held on his fishing day. Another one
says re was working in a meeting
house then another says he was ig-
norant Of the day OF the election. Still
another said he would have had to
walk eighteen niles as his mare was
very lame and his plough horse very
poor. One says Il copy him verba-
tim) That he was ready fixed to start
TO the court house of said county 10
vote when he was informed that a
certain COW OF his. which had young
, calf, was missing. when | set out to
look for her and did not find her that
day. and several days after | found
her drowned in the river. This excuse
satisfied the court, as the paper is
| marked excused
Sir Peyton Skipwith, Bart, OF Preast-
would. settled in this county from Eng
land in the eighteenth century. makes
his excuse in his own handwriting,
dated June 10, 1893. "P. Skipwith s
reasons for not attending the two last
elections in Mecklenburg.
! II was summoned TO attend the
High Court of Chancery early in March
and did not consider myself legally
dismissed until after the 18th day OF
the court, which happened on We'd
nesday, the 20th of the month. so
that II was not in my power OF attend
the election of member OF Congress,
and on my way UP from Richmond,
unfortunately broke one of my car
rage wheels, so that could not with
any degree of convenience, get ne
paired in time to attend the election
OF member of the General Assem- bly, 4.
and In consequence OF an injury re-
ceived some years ago in my back
and loins, | cannot ride more than
three or four miles at a time. and
the very short rides on horseback
that ] sometimes take about my plan
tation. for | never attempt to ride
anywhere else, is succeeded by vio-
lent pains and sometimes fever,
which was the last time attempted
to ride to our court. and | trust and
believe that the worshipful court has
more humanity than TO desire a man
\ nj naar kO xaarQ ~ IN do utk.