Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-17
Aboal ths RIght OF Vollng.

i411NtgIo 4lessNSl le-Sess
The question-hAs H citizen in West
Virginia the right 20 vote cat Of the town
ship in which he resides was much dis
cnsssd at our late elections, and WAS de-
cided aud acted upon differently In different
localities. It Is question OF much i'm.
l.pCrtAnee aud should be settled, ~ il may
a. soms futnre time, become the ground
for contestiug important elections, and
may cause the popular win 20 be defeated
A free interchange of opinions aud OF sT-
gRmeHts, pro snd con, may therefore be
bensfoiAL
I aToW the opinion that citizen has the
right to vote for any except township oth-
Gers, at any election precinct within the
county In which he resides 1 propose %
state, briefly, my reasons fOr this oPinion,
and would be pleased 70 hear from those
who think differently. The 24th Sec. Of
the Act OF the Legislst1rs of Nov. 18Th,
1853, says-LsThe supervisors and inspsc-
tors at every election shall permit Al per
soma to vote Who are residents OF their
townships and qualified 70 vote according
to the Lat Sec. of the Sd Art of the Con-
stitution," sc. This, at hrst view, would
| Indicate that none but residents OF the
townships could vote therein-the Affirm
alive that all residents OF the township
| might vote thsrsin, seeming 70 car
" by implication, the negative, that
none others could exercise that privilege.
But We are referred, by this act, 70 the
Constitution for the qualifications of voters
The Ist Sec. of the Sd Art of the .Ccnsti-
| ton, SAYS. THE white male citizens Of the
\ state shall be entitled to vote aT 81 cleo
/ tions held within the elsction districts In
which they respectively reside but no per-
son who has not been 3
resident of the State for one year, aud of
the county IN which he offers 70 vote, for
thirty days, next preceding such offer, shall
| be permitted torgOte, SC. The question
| NOW arlses-Whas Is Al election district?
| In II 4 county, or is il more or less than .
county? II cannot be, necessarily, less
| because the subsequent clause e1largea 1t
| by couhnilg the residence only tOthe body
1 of the county. HThe election district"
presume cumprizss the e-eatiPe territory, the
population of which is represented by the
Individual eleetsd,-WhsThar the entire
Stste, OF single vowushiP-for Govern
or, ke., the toWnship for supervisor, SC
! And this idea does not favor the claim
of some, that they can vote for Gov
ernor. or Presidential electors anywhere
within the State. or for q C0ugressman
\ or StAte Senator anywhere Wlthia bis
district, because the latter CLAUSE Of the
tEb0ve eKrrsct from the GOnstisution rss-
-tricts the voters privilege TO the county IN
which he resides.
This being q correct i1tsrPrst8giOD ct
the COnstitutiOaal Qualification Of V9Iers
with regard 70 locality, we may inquire
how Is this qualification affected By the
act of the Legisls;une above eitedl l
answer, e 10 WaSWhdt6Vef. Gds C9usti-
tuition restricting Che voters privilege only
70 the county lin cases where ''the elee-
ton district is not less than the county,
R-Rhish ha-6zsfd65, dldz 6lAeddn L1aVs
lbeing OF that class which are construed
literally, the act of the Legislature cannot
psstain n libsnaF ItsrFrstztiOn Of thE
IConstituEion The act OF the Legislature,
moreover, does not itself, except By RegG-
tive iHpGe46oH. restrict the Yoger in the eX-
ercise- Of his privilege 70 ne township in
which he resides, and If it did, the restric-
ton would be unconstitutional and d-Eoid-
la6Is N Inv. 5F&1 H. - =
I Determine, then, the voters right With
regsrd to the piAssf Of voting, by the Con-
stitution exclusively and from it con
loIuias that Whsee itth0 GleGfiDu dWtFiDF
comprises as much as 4 county or more
the citizen has . right 70 vote at any elee
fti6n precinct within his county; but tWhefI
"the election disuFleSD comprises less thai
q countY5 = Fyr . tOynshipt he can VOti
only within that township, because thsr'
n 10 aeeaOn- eot is oECeSg hsld OUtGIdl
its limits. What ssY Jon, Mr.. Editor
! Very respectfully, yours, Gs-- 70