Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-07-23
THE REPUBLICAN.


Registry Act, was rendered aftrr
patient hearing and investigation.
Not the slightest effort has been made
bv the Radical Press to contrOvert
the legal positions of the court, hut
t.:e usual weapon in the Radical ar.
senal. vitup, ration, has been most in
dustronsly employed The repula.
ton of such judges as Thompson,
Sharswood and Strong, for probity
and learning, requires no vindication
in Pennsylvania, and the assaults
made upon them will prove as harm
less as they are malignant. Whilst
we are rcioiced that the court has null
lifted this most unrighieous act, We
are far from impugning the motives of
the learned Judges, Read and Agnew,
who dissented from the views OF the
majority.
In no manner has Radicalism man
ifested itself more dangerously than
in It's growing contempt for the sol
emn opinions of the judiciary. The
recent history of our State and of the
entire country, is full OF instances of
this spirit. Let decision be render
ed against them, and the most vio-
lent personal abuse of the judges is
at once resoried TO. The Supreme
Court of the United States has been
repeatedly insulted and menaced by
the Radicals in Congress on the bare
suspicious that the Court would de-
eide against the constituiionality of
the Reconstruction acts, and this We
ry suspicion grew out Of th, fact that
they, themselves, knew the act To be
unconstitutional. From the moment
when the Radicals observed that
Chief Justice Chase could not he bent
10 their purposes in the impeachment
of the President, they have not ceased
TO overwhelm him with calumny and
detraction. The same spirit prevades
the entire party, and its most recent
manifestation hQs been witnessed in
the reception Of the decision against
tie Registry Act. The truth is. that
many of the leading Radicals deny
the right of the Supreme Court to
interfere with the Legislature, and
there is real danger that if Radicalism
be confirmed in power in Pennsylva-
MIA, with its horror of regulated, con-
stilutional law, it will destroy the
State judiciary as the Radicals ia
Congress attempted with the Supreme
Court OF the United States. There is
reason for this. The Radical party
has been employed for the last two
years, in substituting the rule of the
sword for constitutional law in ten
States of the Union. They have np-
enlv proclaimed that their legislation
is "outside the constitution" but ne
cessary for Reconstruction" They
have denied the right in the Su-
preme Court of the United States To
interfere with their plans of .'recon
struction" and have threatened TO
cripple the power of the Court. They
have organized it and reorganized it
again, solely with the view Of obtain
ing a decision. Its not to he expec-
ted, then, that press, which has been
occupied so long in apologizing for
tyranny and misrule; which is to-day
defending an oppression unknown
elsewhere in the civilized world. can
have any very elevated notions of
constitutional law, or reverence for
the learned judges who interpret il
The Supreme Court of Pennsylva-
mia decided the registry law void, be-
cause it set up tests and qualifications
for suffrage regugnant TO the plain
provisions of the Constitution
This act requires ten days residence
to be admitted to registration, aud
the registration must be ten days be-
fore the election.
The Constitution requires of the vo.
ter otherwise qualified, only ten days
residence
The witness produced by the claim.
ant must swear to a ten days resi-.
d ,nce in the district before the elcc-
tiol. How can the witness know
the claiman; is ten days resident,
when the period has not commenced
to run? Claimant may be next day
in another division" looking up
new witness.
The act requires a person removing
into the State, or a returned citizen,
10 produce . witness ten days before
the election. that he has been for one
year resident of the State, or has
returned within six months requir.
ing residence of one year and ten
days in the first case, and six months
aud ten days 10 the other.
This is, TO the extent of ten DAYS, a |
longer residence than the Constitution |
requires.
The act requires Of the naturalized .
citizen, besides producing witness.
That he shall exhibit his naturalization
papers before the board, at least ten
days before the election.
If he should receive his papers on
the ninth day before the election. ne
ct course, could not register, aud
would be deprived OF his vote. Under
the Constitution he would be entitled
to vote it he received his papers on
the day OF the election.
The son who came to this country
a minor, aud votes on his fathers
papers, is subjected TO like depriva-
ton of rights.
The act requires person voting
on age TO produce a witness to his
qualification. His right to vote may
have been consummated on election
day. He must under this law. be
registered ten days before election,
and have his witness with him.
II was the clear intent OF the simple. {
easily under.tood provisions OF The
Constitution, to make the suffrage as