Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-10-17

face OF the Constitution OF Ohio, Witch says that
tlat right shall only be exercised by white male
not satsed % to % wait att until G the QUESTION should
be decided by the people at the polls, but show
the Constitution Of Ohio, as their Abolition par
ty had wickedly and ruthlessly disregarded and
ssn ~ tho United states but o thanks @ to the
Judges OF our election, the ballot-box of st.
Clairsville was not polluted by such votes.-
tGazette.
A man with prejudices strong enough
to make him dishonest Ss pitiable OBJ
ject. When the editor of the Gazette
wrote the above he must have known
that he was meanly misrepresenting the
occurrence of which he was writing, and
that, too, when he knew the matter
would be a subject for legal investiga-
tion and decision. When he charges
Messrs. West, Cowen and Poorman with
trying ITO shore into the baliot-box two
negro votes, IN the face Of the Constitu-
ton Of Ohio" he impugns the motives of
men who are, at least, his equals in
moral character, and In their respect for
the Constitution Of Ohio. These gentle-
men knew very well that no votes could
be showed into the ballot-bo in Richland
Township that were not known to be
Demociatic votes; but they thought
there might be moral honesty enough in
the officials of that party to treat with
common decency those who, in the
name of the Constitution and laws of the
State, should claim the rights of citizen
ship. In this, however, they were mis-
taken and instead of being treated with
courtesy, they were treated to long
harangue, full of passion and iuvective,
by one of said officials, and the Demo-
cratic multitude, with livid lips and
glaring eyeballs, looked the fendish
wrath and hatred they lacked the cour-
age to execute.
We regret that this matter has been
brought to the notice of the people in u
partisan light, and would have been bet
ter pleased to have had legal decision
Of 1t upon its merits, but the Gazette evil
IDENTIFY feared this and sought TO make it
party matter for the mere purpose of
preventing such an equitable decision of
1t. Under these circumstances we feel
compelled to make plain statement of
the whole affair.
At the late election George and Lewis
Ransom, colored men of this place, on
the advice OF their friends, presented
themselves at the polls, and claimed
that, under the decision of the Supreme
Court Of the State of Ohio, they were
entitled to vote. The attention of the
Trustees was called to the decision, and
Mr.. George Ransom asked to be sworn
as to his eligibility under that decision,
and the Trustees absolutely refused to
s'oedr him at all, although the law ex-
pressly declares that, "If any Judge of
the election shall or shall re-
fuse or sanction the refusal by any other
judge of the board to which he shall be-
long, to administer either of the oaths or
aflirmations prescribed by the 18th and
18th sections OF this act" &C., such judge
or clerk, on conviction thereof, shall be
fined In any sum not less than one hun
dred and not exceeding one thousand
dollars, or be imprisoned in the Jail ofthe
County not less than one month and not
more than six months, or both, at the
discretion of the Court"
Mr.. Lewis Ransom was sworn, and by
his oath 1t was clearly established that
he had more white than black blood In
him; and yet the Trustees, in opposition
TO the advice of the best lawyer In the
house belonging to their party, refused
his vote.
The Supreme Court has frequently de-
cided this very question, and we cannot
see how any man or set Of men having
the least respect for the Constitution of
Ohio as Interpreted by the only tribunal
authorized to interpret 1t, can act, either
~ the editor of the Gazette has acted, or
ss the Trustees and the rabble by whom
they seemed to be influenced acted on
the day OF the election. The question
was first decided In 1881, In the case of
Polly Gray VS.. The State Of Ohio, 4 Ohio
Reports, 334. 1t was held by the Court:
1--WE believe q man Of race nearer
white than mulatto, Is admissible as
witness and should partake In the priv
tleges Of whites" In 1912, In the case
OF Je6ries VS.. Ankeny, IL Ohio Reports,
S72, Chief Justice Ebenezer Lane, Asso-
cintes Reuben Wood, Matthew Birch
ard, and Nathaniel C. Read, all Demo-
crats-the Court held, "rhat all nearer
white than black, or OF the grade be-
tween the mulattoes and the whites,
were entitled to enjoy every political and
social privilege of the white citizen,"-
Judge Read dissenting. These decisions
were under the old Constitution. The
case Of anderson VS.. MRiikin, ct at, o
Ohio State Reports, 50s, Is a case under
the new Constitution, In which all the
previous cases are reviewed, and the
Court unanimously held that "Persons
having mixture OF African blood, but
preponderance OF white blood, or being
more white than black, and being other
wise qualified, were, by the settled con-
struction of the section Of the Constitu-
tion Of 1902, regulating the exercise OF
the elective franchise, entitled to enjoy
the right OF All elector. No change was
made in this respect by the correspond
ing section Of the Constitution Of 1851.
l. a