Year: 1879

THE SEITZ ELECTION LAW.


The following is an official copy of the
Seitz election law as finally passed by
both Houses of the Ohio Legislature.
Preserve it for reference: ri


AN ACT supplemental to an act en-
! titled =" An act to preserve the purity of
elections" ~. f.f5


SECTION l. Be it enacted by the Gen
eral Assembly of the State of Ohio,
That it shall be unlawful for any person
who is candidate for any Office or trust
or profit, under the constitution of laws
of this state, or of the United States, to
loan, give directly or indirectly, offer,
or promise to give, any money or other
thing of value, to any elector within the
district in which he is candidate, for
the purpose of influencing or retaining
the vote of such elector, or give, or pro-
promise to give to any person or persons,
any of the above considerations of value,
to secure OF retain the influence of such
person or persons, to influence the vote
of any individual elector, or of electors
generally or to influence him or them to
vote, or to refrain from voting; provided
that nothing in this section shall be
constructed to apply to hospitality at
his own residence.


SEC. 2. Any person found guilty of
any of the acts found in section one,
shall be deemed guilty of bribery, and
upon conviction thereof, shall be fined
in any sum not less than five hundred
dollars, nor more than one thousand dol
lars, or be imprisoned in the peniten-
tiary not exceeding three years; and, if
| such offender shall have been elected to
the Office for which he was candidate,
his office shall be made vacant by con-
viction, and filled as in other cases of
vacancy; and such person shall, more
over, be forever Ineligible to any
Office of trust or profit within this
state.


Sec. 8. Any person, not a candidate
for office, who shall disburse, or give, or
promise to give, any money, or other
thing of value, or gives, or treats to any
spiritous, malt or other liquors, either
directly or indirectly, shall influence
any voter in giving, or Withholding his
vote, or seeks by violence or threatens to
enforce the payment of debt, or to be-
gin criminal prosecution, or to injure
the business of trade of any elector,
or, if any employer of laborers, or agent
of such employer, threatens to withhold
or reduce the wages, or to dismiss from
service, or refuses to allow the necessary
time to employees to attend the place of
election, and vote, as an inducement to
| such an electOr to vote contrary to his
1ncllnatlOns, or any person selling, or
offering to sell, his influence with other
voters, or who, for or with any consider
alton of value enumerated in section
| one, shall seek to influence the vote of
any elector, or to influence him to vote,
or refrain from voting, shall be deemed
guilty of felony, and upon conviction
thereof, shall be fined in any sum not less
than one hundred, nor more than two
thousand dollars, or imprisoned in the
penitentiary, not more than three years,
at the discretion of the court t.


SEC. T. Any candidate for nomination
by any political party in this state for
any office of trust or profit, who shall
commit any of the acts named in section
one Of this act, for the purpose of secur-
ing the influence. of any person in his
behalf, or to influence any delegate vot-
ing upon the question of his nomination,
shall be deemed guilty of bribery, and
shall be fined not less than one hundred
dollars, and shall be disqualified from
holding the office, though he be there
after elected according to law. The
commission of any of the acts named in
| section one, during the candidacy Of
such person for nomination for office as
aforesaid, shall be prin,a t1cie evidence of
intent to influence the votes of delegates.


SEC. 5. That whoever asks, demands,
or receives from any candidate for the
nomination, by any political party or
convention to any Office, or from any
candidate for any office, under any, law,
any money or other thing of value, not
then due or owing, or makes applica ton
to any such candidate to purchase any
ticket, or, to give any money or other
thing of value, for any pretended ball,
picnic, fair, entertainment, or charitable
enterprise, with the expectation or be-
| lief that such demand, request, or re-
ceipt will influence any vote, shall be
| fined not less than fifty nor more than
three hundred dollars, or imprisoned
sixty days in the county Jail, or work
house, if there be such an institution in
the country, or both, and such demand
or request of any candidate shall be
| deemed prima focie proof of such ex-
pectation or belief No prosecution
shall be instituted under any of the
provisions of this act, unless the same
shall be commenced within six months
after the commission of the offense. NAf


Sec 6. The prosecuting attorney may
frame his indictment with any number
of counts for different offenses against
this act, that may be committed to effect
any one election, by any one candidate,
and may offer evidence tending to sup
port any, or all of said counts, and the
jury shall take into consideration all
the evidence offered on each of said
counts, for the purpose of establishing
the guilt Of the accused on all or any of
said counts. f.fI ~


Sec Z. This act shall take effect and
be in force from and after its passage.
Mesmeric Matrimonial Miseries.