The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-10-31
CAN'T RIDE
To The Polls At The Expense
OF Candidates
Or Committee In Charge Of
Campaign
According To Ruling OF The
Attorney General
On A Feature Of The Cor.
rupt Practices Act
Owner OF Vehicle May IaViie
A Person To Ride

A ruling of unusual importance.
which will be of vital interest in every
county, and, in fact, in every election
precinct in the state, constituting the
new Kimble corrupt practices act, was
given by Attorney General Timothy s.
Hogan, Saturday afternoon.
In this ruling, he holds that it is
unlawful for any political committee
or candidate for q political office, to
hire carriages, wagons or other ve-
hicles to convey voters to the polls,
and that it is also unlawful for any
person or party to make any donation
or contribution, either by the giving
OF money or the gratuitous Offering
of such colveyances, for such a pur-
pose.
Inquiries were received by the at
torney general from some so different
political committees throughout the
state as to whether or not voters could
be transported to the polls either by
committees, candidates or others will
ing to donate money or vehicles for
the purpose.
Attorney General Hogan interprets
the law to absolutely prohibit anything
of the kind. He, however, holds that
the law does not prevent neighbor or
friend from driving a voter to the
polls who might be physically inca
pacitated from going there. He points
out that the whole purpose of the law
is to prevent corruption in elections
and is not to prevent any voter from
exercising his just rights and privil-
eyes.
II the owner of vehicle should in
vite another to jump in and ride to
the polls with him, that would not be
violation of the corrupt practices
act, unless it could be shown that the
purpose of the invitation was to influ-
ence the vote of the person accepting
the same.
The attorney generals interpreta-
tion of the law contains some pretty
finely-drawn differentiations as to the
meaning of its provisions. A too-lit-
eral Interpretation of the act would
make 1t an offense to drive any per-
son to the polls, no matter what the
circumstances, and this, the attorney
general points out, would not be in
harmony with the spirit and harmony
of the act, which, he shows, is to stop
corruption and not to deprive those
who can get to the polls no other way
from being driven there in convey
ance.
Printed copies of the ruling will be
made and sent to every election CON-
mittee in the state. The request for
the ruling was made. by Prosecuting
Attorney Harry P. Black of Seneca
county.
General Hogan quotes from the
Kimble law, which says that any per-
son is guilty of corrupt practice If
directly or indirectly, by himself or
through any other person, in connec-
tion with, or in respect to any election,
pays, lends or contributes, or offers
or promises to pay lend or contrib
ute any money or other valuable con-
sideration for any other purpose than
which is set forth in the law as being
legitimate expense and which would
not tend to be corruDting
General Hogan finds that the hiring
or use of vehicles by committees or
candidates, or the donation to them of
vehicles by persons to them, comes
under the inhibitions set forth by the
law.
"Tt frequently arises" says General
Hogan, "that voter mentally yigor-
Gus out physically infirm must be aid
ed or transported to the polls.
think that no worthy citizen possess
ing mental vigor need be deprived of
the right to vote by reason of lack
of transportation. Under the corrupt
practices act it seems to me that there
is no objection to any man taking a
voter of this kind to the polls either
upon request of such man or upon the
voluntary act of the party affording
the transportation. 1t should appear
however, in fact, and not in form,
that such voter is being assisted to
the polls without any motive other
than to enable him to enjoy his priv