The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1867-03-14
"Constitution Tinkering.''

amend our state CONSTITUTION, ana suggests
four Improvements TO that instrument:
1. Transfer all special legislation to the
Courts.
2. Extend the righ. of suffrage to skedad-
dlers, and take it from those who work at
the rolling mill but few days before cleo
tions.
3. Insert provision against the purchase
Of the legislature by Simon Cameron or "any
other man."
4. Give the ballot to the negro.-FFseman
The proposition which The AHeghanian
made in regard to special Legislation was
for "some constitutional guard against the
vast and expensive amount of special leg
islation enacted at each sitting of the
Legislature which the Freeman con-
torts to suit its own purpose of misrepre-
sentation. In regard to its declaration
that "an amendment for this very purpose
was adopted in 1864, and is now part of
the Constitution" we answer by quoting
the amendment, which reads:
''No bill shall be passed by the Legislature
granting any powers privileges in any
case where the authority to grant such pow
ers privileges has been or may hereafter be
conferred upon the Courts of this Common
seGIth."
The amendment covered, and was de-
signed to cover, only such cases on which
the Courts could already act, or on which
they might in the future be empowered to
act. We thought the Freeman was edited
BY lawyer of reputable learning!
Its next declaration, namely, that We
proposed to "=1tend the right of suffrage
to skedaddlers," is as plump falsehood,
or else as stupid blun6er, as was ever
put on paper. Our suggestion, if indeed
1t was suggestion, was for "other and
more efficient means than are now provi-
ded for guarding the purity of the ballot" :"
We further said-"That the permanent
distfanchaement of those unfortunate, de-
luded men who fed the country or re-
mained in hiding-places to escape the
draft will be seriously proposed, We cannot
say, though We hope not" The Freeman
coolly reversed our language and made US
appear to use words We pever uttered.-
We supposed that paper to be conducted
with rome regard for the truth
The Freeman certainly kalel0 that i; was
uttering o Misrepresentation in saying
that We more than intimate our desire to
take the right of voting from the poor
lsborer who is compelled to leave one
place Of labor and seek it at another
Such a man is not necessarily "charac-
terless character" But we do think that
our laws now permit men to vote at city,
township, and county elections who have
scarcely more interest in the affairs of the
corporations in which they exercise the
elective privilege than a stray raccoon.-
Our remedy for this evil, as well as for
that of colonization, (and all we meant to
''intimate,') is to require residence of
three or six months in any county or
election district before granting the fran
chise of the ballot, and good registry
law.
As to the other assertions of our neigh
hor, in which it is insinuated that We de-
sire to restrict suffrage with the whites
but extend it unrestricted to the blacks,
NC CeIlalul1 ddLAIAS Ino '>oS 6S'4o' 'A0'
could contrive so shrewd and cutting a
piece of English. The Freeman tells us
also to go to the Democracy to find pure
men if we deem them scarce in the Re
publican party. Sending US to Judas
to find integrity! Democratic purity
what a burlesque! The Freeman is
called to the stand to bear true testimony
as to political purity in Morris township,
Huntingdon county, and as to Democratic
purity in Washington township of our
own county. Hon. Jake Thompson, of
Mississippi, was one of the shining lights
of Democracy-Jake Thompson ard his
six millions.
We incline to think the Freeman tries
TO be consistent with its boasts of fairness,
but it is hard for sinners not to sin. AL
lowauce, too, must be made for a sinner
who in his day has been Whig, an early
Republican, and a Democrat-who has
fought against the domination of slavery,
aud then with aud in behalf of slavery
who was a tariff man, and is now seem
ingly opposed to tarif-whO was in
favor of the war against rebellion, and
then opposed to that war-who was op-
posed to the equality of all men before
the law, and now considers it "the glory,
- L