The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1867-02-07

be the injustice that has been done you
by the decision of the Board of Regis
traton you cannot a RRc sd to the s Gagrts
the Board. Their decision is final.
Their record in your case, in the Ian
guage Of the law, imports absolute rer-
Hy.
1t is true that the bill provides that
the Boards may be prosecuted for mis-
demeanor, if they hlaomjngy and aciyU-
u refuse to register your name; but il
also provides that the decision complaint
ed of shall be presumed to have been
made in good faith until the contrary is
shown. \ lawyer will tell you that he
who talks Of prosecuting ga Board for
a misdeneanor is trying to impose upon
your ignorance, for the thing is q legal
impossibility. But independent of any
objection Of this character, you cannot
suppose that q conviction is possible un-
der such law. And if it We're possible,
it would not reinstate your name upon
| the register. You would still have no
relief. Their decision against you:
right would still be final, for they are
TO have the sole jurisdiction Of heques
ton, and their record in your OWE
case you can never dispute. This see
ton Of the bill is excuse the expression
Il transparent humhug.
According to the 18th section Of the
bill, enc person shall be alIowed to vote
at any State, county, township or mu-
nicipal election hereafter held in this
State, unless his name has been register
ed as required by this act. And any
supervisor or inspector OF elections, Or
any other officer experimenting any
election, who shall permit any person to
vote whose name is not SO registered
| shall be guilty OF misdemeanor, and on
conviction thereof be fined not less tam
! fifty dollars and imprisoned not less
| tina thirty days at the discretion Of the
jury"
| But this provision is not enough. Il
is further provided by the Dist section
| that .sany person who shall vote at any
election without being registered shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on
conviction thereof shall be fined not
less than fifty dollars OF imprisoned not
less than ninety days at the discretionot
| the Jury
TO these penalties there is no limit.
The fines are not to be less than a GER
tain amount nor the Imprisonment Tess
than the specified time, but they may
be greater to any extent | would call
your attention, too, to a singular olnis
sion in the bill. While the Boards Of
Registration may strike from their lists
at their pleasure any number OF quail
fled voters with full assurance that in
fact no punishment can be inflicted; OF
the other hand they may add there o to
any extent they please, whether the
names inserted be those Unqualified vot-
ers or not. and no penalty is provided
by the bill for such AN ottense.
The 9th and 9TH sections OF the bill
| ,rn HI, fbat ft,n tlnorfl, chlll hold "a
meeting en- the first Monday Of May,
1867, for the purpose OF correcting the
register of each township and ward,
''either by adding thereto the names OF
persons omitted or striking thereirom
the names of persons improperly there
on" An oath is to be administered to
every person applying for registration,
and to every person whose name II IL
proposed to strike from the register, y
he happen to be present. If he refuse
to answer, or the Board are pleased to
consider his answer evasive, his appli
cation may be rejected or his name be
stricken from the register.
| This oath is alike remarkable in what
it omits and what it contains.
The registration act OF 1866 required
the voter to be sworn to support the
Constitution of this State. This un-
meaning formality is no longer required.
The oath might lie heavy upon the con-
sciences of some few Of the favored vot-
ers. The farce of pretending to respect
the Constitution is abandoned, and ten
der consciences will be no further gallett
by so inconvenient an obligation.
The person who appears before the
Board OF Registration to beg the right
of suffrage from his masters, is to be
sworn to answer certain questions which
are set forth in this bill. Among them
are the following:
"Have you, since the first day Of June
1861, borne arms against the United
States?" "Have you, since that time,
given aid, comfort, assistance, counten-
ance or encouragement to persons en-
gagged in any way in upholding or sus-
tanning the so-called Confederate States
of America, or any rebel State Govern
ment..n
The registration act OF 1866 required
the voter to be sworn that he had not
rol,0at0riiy borne arms against the Uni
ted States, nor rol,wtariy given aid,
comfort OF assistance to persons engage
ed in armed hostility TO the United
States. The word uol,0et0ry is now
omitted. All are to be forever distian-