The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-04-06
Loyalty.

Loyalty.
Ii would tend very greatly to- simpll-
~ political discussion and would aid
very much in the Interpretation OF some
of the laws by which our people are
governed, if some competent authority
would define and fix the meaning Of the
word loyalty" We are all well aware
that the term has been used very freely
and with a very loose construction by
political writers and speakers during the
past few years, and, with no other inter
probation than the widely various defin-
itions given to it in newspapers, 1t has
been employed by our law makers and
incorporated into some of the most i'm
portant acts now in force i'll this State
One class of citizens puts one construc-
ton upon the word, another class gives
it different meaning, and still another
interprets it to signify something diverse
from the meaning attached to it
by either of the others In addition to
this, We have frequent changes in the
meaning of the word, and there seems to
be no Gel tainty that he who gives to it
certain Specification to-day will attach
to it the same meaning to morrow For
instance, we used to be told that loyalty
consisted in. supporting the policy of the
Federal administration now, the very
men who insisted upon that rule declare
that lo} atty consists ia opposing the Fed
eral administration Some Of lis think
that loyalty consists III pvoseut ahegi-
ance TO the constitution Of the United
States, while others seem to hold the
doctrine that loyalty maaus simply ODE
dience to the dictates of the leaders of
the Republican party past present aud
to come Under these circumstances it
is certainly much to be regretted that
word of such doubtful import has been
prominently used IN 50 important an act
as that which Processes to provide 10"
the registry of voters
The third section Of the Registration
Act gives to the registrar power o eX-
act from the applicant certain oath If
he has any doubt a. tn such persons |
loyalty" Now, by what standard ia the
registrar to Judge of the loyalty Of the
citizen who applies for registrations Is
support Of the Federal administration
the standard OF loyalty; or are only
these who oppose the administration to
be considered sufficiently loyal to have
their names registered without taking |
the oath2 Must man who bears true |
allegiance to the constitution OF the
United States be swo1n. or axe those
whose allegiance to s6eir party leaders
is paramount t. their devotion TO the
constitution ana the laws alone entitled
TO vote without taking the test cathi
And then, there is some confusion IS 20
the time when the loyalty of the
applicant is to be gagged by thu Regis
trar Does the law give the registrar |
power to compel the applicantsto take !
the test oath if he has any doubts As 10 |
his present loyalty Or is the applicant |
to be required to swear ia all cases !
where the registrar doubts his loyalty |
III the past mans loyalty. according |
TO any Of the definitions yet attached to |
the term, is susceptible of change He |
may be loyal at one time and iisloyai at
another he may nave been disloyal six
months ago and be loyal an to day
1t is therefore important that there lie
some fixed time at which the loyalty of
the citizen within the meaning of The |
registration act is to be determined.
Our own opinion upon these subjects |
is very clear, and has been expressed |
heretofore in these columns We think
that the only proper definition of loyal
ty, so far as the word is applicable to an |
American citizen at all, is present sup
port of the constitution Of the United |
States and obedience 10 constitutional |
laws Aman is not necessarily disloyal |
because he questions the wisdom of any
particular measure of governmental poll
cy, neither is he disloyal because he on
posed in the past the policy of the Fed.
eral administration. Neither do
believe that man who nor, at this time
yields an honest support to the constitn.
tion ofthe United States can Justly be
called disloyal, even though he may |
have been engaged in armed hostility
to the government less than one year
ago We are very sure that President
JOHNSON attaches no other meaning to
the the word loyalty than present sup.
port of the constitution.