The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-10-17

lor II by the reduction of our power in
Congress and in the electoral college.
The truth is, that all this talk on the
part of the Radicals about "equalizing
representation" by means of the pro-
posed amendment, is mere bosh; it is
arrant nonsense. The trainers of the
amendment meant no such thing. Their
sole purpose was to force the Southern
States to adopt negro suffrage or suffer
the loss of their representation. That
this was their object may be readily
learned from the following extract from
the report of the committee that de-
vised and proposed the amendment we
are discussing. The committee said:
"Doubts were entertained whether
Congress had power, even under the
amended Constitution, to prescribe the
qualifications of voters in State, or
could act directly on the subject. 1t
was doubtful in the opinion of your
Committee, whether the States would
consent to surrender power they had
always exercised, and to which they
were attached. As the best, if not the
only method of surmounting this diff
ficulty, and as eminently just and pro-
per in itself, your Committee came to
the conclusion that political power
should be possessed in all the States
exactly in proportion as the right of
suffrage should be granted, without dis
tinctiOn of color or race. This, it was
thought, would leave the whole ques-
ton with the people of each State,
holding out all the advantage Of in
creased political power, as the induce
ment to allow all to participate in its
exercise. Such n provision would be in
it's nature, gentle and persuasive, and
would lead, it is hoped, at no distant
day, to an equal participation of all,
without distinction, in all the rights
and privileges of citizenship, thus
atfording full and adequate protection
to all classes of citizens, since all would
have, THROUGH THE BALLOT BOX, the
power of self-protection.
Holding these views, your committee
prepared an amendment to the consti-
tuition to carry out this idea, and sub
mitted the same to Congress. UnfOr-
tunately, as we think, it did not re-
ceive the necessary constitutional
support in the Senate, and therefore
could not be proposed for adoption by
the States. The principle involved in
that amendment is, however, believed
to be sound, and your committee have
again proposed it in another form,
that it may receive the appreciation OF
Congress-"
This report is signed by W. P. FEssEN-
DEN, JAMES w. GRIMES, IRA HARRIS, j.
NJ. HOWARD, GEORGE II. WILLIAMS,
THADDEUs STEVENS, ELIHU B. WASH
BURN, JUSTIN S. MORRILL,, JOHN A.
BINGHAM, Roscoe CoSKIIN, GEORGE S.
BOUTWELL,.
These were the objects avowed by
the committee that framed the amend
ment and these were the ideas they in
tended to embody in it. Negro suffrage
is the prime object sought. Without
this, no amendment would have been
thought OF or proposed And yet this
man BINGHAM goes throughout this
county in the employ Of the Radicals,
pretending, as we are informed, that
the proposed amendment has nothing
to do with negro suffrage and is merely
;.,+a,,daA 4" anualize ranressntatinn
The ratification of this amendment is
pronounced by the Intelligencer to be
"the great issue" before the people in
the fall elections in this State. The
new plan will establish greater ine-
qualities in representation than now
exist; it will unduly increase the power
of New England over the South and
West; and its main and confessed object
is the enfranchisement of the negroes.
All who favor these objects will vote
the radical ticket; all who oppose New
England domination and believe that
this is white mans government will
vote with the conservative party.