Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-30
As Showing the natuEe Of the detenoe

of our soldiers votes from the polls at the
last election. we desire to submit HPeci-
men extract or two from the Wheeling
R.of,t.r. Weunderstand that the material
for the defence, such as it is, was furnished
nv Mr.. Sweeny himself. This may or may
M. he the case. Whether it's or not makes
mn difference. 1t is sufficient that We have
the nublished defence before us, written In
Mr. sveenv's behalf We quote as follows
from it:
At regular meeting of the City Co1n-
ell, held on the 18th OF January Ioo1I NJ;
IL Bickel offered an ordinance prepared
nv Daniel Lamb Esq., with relation TO the
mode of voting at the charter election. up
m this time the municipal election had
been conducted upon the old viva Uoee sys:
fem and Mr.. Bickel's ordinance proposed
that. after its passage the election snonIn
be by ballot. The ordinance was Ialu on
the table, but afterwards, on the 18TH OF
January. a special meeting>of the council
was called "to provide for the manner OF
votipg at city elections" and the ordinance
previously offered was again taken up. 1t
related soIeEy TO the Rdnner of voting and
had nothing whatever to do with the quati :
fcatious of voters, whether soldiers oil cit.
izens Various amendments were offered
by different persons, among the rest, one
py MIR. Sweeney, providing that the NUM-
cipal election should be conducted in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the State
Law meaning thereby that 1t should be BY
ballot on white paper, &c. This amend
ment was passed and incorporated in the
Ordinance as the fifth section. Nothing
was said in the meeting of the council rela-
tive 10 receiving the ballots of absent SOL
in the fnfanfi0n 0f
those who framed or amended the ordinance,
that 1t should be SO construed.
Now we ask the readers attention to q
remark or two on the above:
The Rsgister says that Mr.. Sweeney Of
fered the amendment known IS the 9th
Section, which provides that elections in
the city should be conformed to the laws of
the State; ''meauipg thereby that it should
be by ballot on white paper, &C." But it
80 happens that Mr.. Sweeney could have
meant nothing of the kind. Section 1st of
the ordinance provided as follows:
SEQ. 1. At all elections of the people for
city officers and members of either house
of the Council the mode Of Voting shall be
By ballot. and the ballots shall be t0ritteH or
printed on tDhite paper.
Now, if Section LIST provided that the
mode of voting "should be by ballot on
white paper" why would Mr.. Sweeney of
fer 5th Section as an amendment provi-
ding for the same thing. What utter nom
sense
But as showing still further how little
the writer in the ReSiJter knew of the sub
ject matter concerning which he was pre-
tending to inform his readers, or else how
he was purposely attempting to deceive
them, we cite the next paragraph to the
one we have just quoted above. 1t is as
A short time after this, it was discovered
that some of the members of the Republi
can party were secretly collecting soldiers
ballots with the intention of Offering them
at the polls at the then pending election,
claiming that Mr.. Sweeney's amendment,
the Fifth Section referred to made the State
law of full force in all its provisions. that
relating to soldiers votes being Included.
Now how could session which the
Rsgi.ter says related solely to the mode of
voting, viz: "by ballot on white paper .
be mistaken by any body-even Republi
cans-for permit under which they could
offer soldiers votes7 The writer apparent
~ did not know and never had read the
ordinance about which he was writing. 1.-The
had read it his remarks evince q stupidity
not often met with. The 9th section which
he claims as referring solely to the mode
of voting SAYS nothing on the subject, but
reads as follows:
$50. s. That all the provisions of the
laws of this State shall be held to be APP
plicable to all elections within the limits
of the city.
The lst section having fully provided
for the ballot and white paper mode of vo'
ting, 1t stands to reason that the 9th sec
ton provided for something more. 1t wal
intended to provide for something not In
cluded in the LIST section, as matter o
course. Now what was that something
Why simply this, vis;-To conform thu
election laws of the city In every respect ts
those of the State. Gould anyth ing b'
ClearerR Read the section again
Sec. S, That all the provisions of thu
laws of this State shall be held to be ap
plioable to all elections within the limit
of the city.
Al docs not mean SONS or a part of tn
provisions and laws of the State, in regard
to elections. 1t means ALL Therefore
when the Ordinance was adopted
it carried with it all the election
laws of the State, and all the law
were to abe held" applicable "tC
all elections within the limits of the city >
Under one law of the State, as We all very
we'll know, our soldiers are entitled to vote
Therefore, by the adoption of SEQ. 9th We
cOntormed to that provision, and it, just a.
much as any other provision, has there
fore to "bs held to be applicable to all
elnntinna ,zirhin the lir,,i,. az ~. liz.