The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-03-15

The PLAIN outy Oh every oounoi'
man is to apply in person to the Regis
trar for his township, at the earliest
practicable day. and have his name re-
coded as a voter. There is really less
difficulty in registration than some OF
our citizens imagine. The Registrar
has no power to exclude from MS i'S'
any man who can take the test oath
He has no authority to ask single qneS'
ton in relation to the matter contained
in the oath and has no discretionary
mower whatever over the registration oil
the applicant. When citizen applies
for registration, the officer may require
him to take the oath, but here MS
mower ceases. He is bound to record
the name OF every applicant VINO COM
plies with the terms Of the law, and mas
no lawful authority whatever to exact
any other condition precedent TO regis
tration than simply that the applicant
is entitled TO vote according to the con-
stitution and is willing to take the test
oath. After the registry has been made,
the voter NAV be summoned before the
county Board of Registration TO defend
himself against having swern the test
oath falsely, aud if the charge is proven
against him, his name may be stricken
from the list But this is the only man
ner in which citizen who takes the
oath can he prevented from voting.
There is also in the minds of some
of our people misapprehenslon
as to the terms of the oath and the class
of persons whom it DISTINGUISHES. The
oath must DO construed strictly and Civ
no latitude beyond its express terms -
We republish it III order that Ill our
readers may understand exactly what
those terms are The following is the
form adopted i'll the registration act.
State Of Vest Firyinia, 49, Iomnshp
&C.,. Comfy, To UH:
/, do solemnly swear that |
have not, since the first day of Juue,
eighteen hundred aud siXty-one, volnn
tarily borne arms against the United
States, the recognized government OF
Virginia or the State Of West Virginia;
that | have not voluntarily given aid,
comfort or assistance to persons engaged
in armed hostility against the United
States, the reorganized government ut
Virginia or the State Of West Virginia
that / have not sought, accepted, eNer-
cised OF attempted 10 exercise, amy office
or appointment whatever, under any an.
thority or pretended authority hostile
or inimical To the United States, the re
organized government of Virginia on the
State of West Virginia; that ] %iil sup
port the constitution of tine United
States and the constitution al this
State aud that | take THIS oath freely,
without any mental reservations or pur.
pose Of evasion
1t therefore excludes only those who
have been engaged in armed hostility 10
the government, and those who have
given aid, comfort or assistance to those
actually, and at the time OF render
ing such aid, comfort OF assistance,
engaged in armed rebellion. The
giving of money, clothing or food
TO prisoners in the haads OF the
Federal authorities does not distrau
hise the citizen Yho did these things,
Ither according % the letter, or. we
enture to say, according TO the int0!-
son of the oath Prisoners cannot
,srictly be said TO be engaged in armed
hostility TO the government they are
withdrawn from the strife and prevented
from doing any act of armed hostility
They are in the custody. and under the
protection of the government and the
extending to them Of any assistance.
whether as food or clothing. is merely
doing what the government itself is
bound to do. If the broad construction
which some persons put upon the oath
be It's correct Interpretation, no officer or |
soldier of the United States army who
ever had rebel prisoner III his charge
can take it A soldier who gave cup
of water TO a wounded or dying rebel on
the battlefield cannot take the test
oath, if prisoners may IL said IL be
persons engaged III arwel hostility We
therefore conclude .hat it ,gds not til III
tsRtioa of the trainers Ot the oath 60
make it apply To acts done 10 rel eve