The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-03-08
n violation of the supreme law, and

void. But Notwithstanding pnio' 'no "O
was generally enforced last fall, and We
see no ground for hope that the fegls
tration Act embodying this Illegal oath
will not be enforced at the elections TO
he held this year. Bad men, men wno
care more for the success OF their parry
than for their oaths to support the Con-
st;tut;op of the United States and OF
this State, may be found in every couh-
tv ready to violate both constitutions
and make popular elections iarce' III
order 10 secure to themselves and their
nolitical friends continuance In ONCE
and power.
II NAV be asked, will not the Supreme
Court of Appeals protect the people from
the enforcement of this unconstitutional
LEGISLATION We can only answer that
Il will be almost, if not altogether i'm
possible to get case arising under the
Registration Act before the Court OF Ap-
meals at its session in July, and before It's
January term commences the mlschlel
contemplated by the act will have been
accomplished and should it meet the
expectations of its authors and friends, a
legislature will have been elected under
| its provisions, as INSCRIPTIONS and big
oted as the last Having started in the
path of revolution there can be no means
of ascertaining at what point the radl-
cal party in this State will stop. 1t
has already manifested no small de-
gree of contempt for the consti-
tuition and for the opinions Of the
Supreme Court, and. there is good reason
for believing that, even if the present
Registration Act be set aside next Janu-
airy, the legislature, if composed OF
the material that constituted the
majority this year, will Immediately
pass another act as demonstrations. and
odiOus as this.
Under ali these circumstances, what
course would best be pursued by the en-
emies of radicaiism and prescription!
We are clearly Of opinion that ii IS the
duty Of ccery conservative man, lrhc can
possibly do So TO comply 1Cith the provisions
Of the act and BE- registered as r0ter. We
would do this, not from any respect for
the act which we know to be uuconstitu'
tional, and certainly not from any re-
gard for the men who passed it, or the
party for whose perpetuation it was con-
cocted, but simply as the surest, speedi-
est, and best method CT securing its abol-
ishment> We are thoroughly convinced
that if an who are opposed to radicalism
in this State and who can DO registered
under the provisions OF tie Act viii have
their names registered and vote ut the
ensuing elections. men can be elected
who will sweep these odOu7 aud pro
sCriptiVe laws from our statute books
forever As We have already seen the
Act imposes no disabilities which were
not created by the test oath act las
year, and certainly the danger 10 whicL
the liberties Of the people have beer
exposed by the course of partisan Leg
isllture should he sufficient Ia arouse
oul citizens to submit to some lnc0nve
uience, and make some sacrifices OF per
sunal feeling, OF even endure he humih
| IN! IF al 1 IA.
provisions of an Act which We All know
aud feel to he unjust aud wrong, in Of
who have plotted against the freedom
OF the citizens aud the prosperity Of the
State We therefore earnestly appeal
10 all conservative men TO resolve at
once to he registered rs soon as the Op
pOrtunity presents itself and make Il
united effort at the polls for the election
of men who will stand by the
constitution and aphold popular rights
We must make a determined stand III the
Township elections to he held on the
fourth Thursday III May and there can
Le little doubt Tia, We viii win the
more important battle 10 he fought on
the fourth Thursday i'll October. We
owe It to ourselves, we owe 1t to the
Federal, administration whose 'onsti
tutional policy has giadde ned the heart
Of every true patriot IN the land We owe
it to our own State to make vIgorou5
aud united effort for the defeat of those
who have, i'll a hundred ways, demon,
strated their hatred OF popular liberty
and republican institutions Let us re-
solve that the effort shall be made. and
| restnot until the triumph is achieved
|
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