The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-06-04
From the Clarksburg Conservative. !. ,. :
Despetism In Randolph Cssnty.a

In accordance with the instructions
sent to his tools in the various counties
by Governor lBoreman, the Boards OF
Registration reverse the ordinary rules
Of law and evidence and require of the
parties notified, what has always been
considered an, impossibihty-the prov.
ing of q negative proposition. Hereto
fore, o man has been considered inno-
cent of a charge until he was proven
guilty of it. Governor B0reman's Boards
Of Registration require man to per
form the impossibility of proving that
he never did anything for which his
name might be stricken from the list OF
voters. A. number sOf, gentlemen > in
Randolph We're stricken oil after pass
ing safely through this severe ordeal
and proving by their secession and
Union neighbors, both, that they had
always been considered good Union
men. Indeed, in this, as in most of the
other counties of this State, the Board
of Registration proved by its action,
that it was not so much its object to as
certain who had been loyal to the Fed
eral Government during the late war,
as it was to strike from the voters list
enough of those who had voted the Con-
servative ticket, to enable them to car
ry the elections in their county. '.,H
The case of Sheriff John NJ. Phares,
is one in point. He was elected last
fall over a noisy, brawling, senseless
Radical, who is now major-dOmO of the
Board of Registration and. who has
been deferred by neither heat nor cold,
food nor sleep, from pursuing his more
successful and more respectable and
qualified opponent, to the bitter end.
When Mr.. Phares was summoned before
the Board, his accusers said they had
nothing against him and did not know
why he had been summoned, (notwith-
standing the law only permitted them
to summon those whom they believed
had been improperly, registered,1 but
that inasmuch as he had been summon
ed, he must prove his loyalty. This he
did by all his neighbors aud acqualnt'
ances, both Conservative and Radical,
and he was declared loyal, and dis
charged. After receiving o censure
from their masters and political direc-
tors, the Board again summoned Mr..
Phares, and he again proved his loyalty
by a number of the most respectable
Radicals in. Randolph county and was
again acquitted. The next day he was
again summoued--la partial hearing
given, and his CASE postponed till next
fall. But after being. encouraged by
those controlling spirits who were
bowling for his blood, his name was
summarily stricken from the voters list
without further notice.
A friend writing to us says: ........
During their trial, in examining a
registered man, after hearing portion
of the evidence, the Board of Registra-
tion said they were satisfied that he
was loyal man, and refused to permit
him to bring forward any more testi-
mony.. His name is now found among
those who are stricken off. This is one
among many similar cases. When we
contrast the virtue, intelligence and
moral worth of the mon thus stricken
off with the ignorance, bigotry, wild
fanticism and lsw-bred selfshness of
set of dogs who thus set themselves up
to Judge of their superiors, we are lost
in wonder and astonishment. There
was time when men sought to obtain
office upon their own merits, but now,
contrary to every principle Of American
government, they seek to ride into Of
fice, position and pewer by denying the
elective franchise to all who do not
vote for the Radical candidates and
high taxes" =,
We will deter tillanother time, Other
particulars in regard to the disfran
chisement of seven-eighths of the tax
PAYERS of Randolph county. -