The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-11-21
asheeline geslster.
s,,urdny Morning -No'e""'
o., s,G,age Quesiioa.

rh. Republicau platform IN the re
-. canvass declared that Congress
,,n, to control the suffrage questio
- ,ho South, while in the "loyaP Mort
:, o,,Lt to Lc left TO the people of tn
,,.rrs The successful party does no
n,,p,,e Io abide by that portion OF u
,ls,form. A vigorous effort VIII D'
made this winter TO extend the right o
,r6, age to all the blacks in the coun
,rv whether the "loyal" States WIEN
mt, So far from settling the strif'
about negro suffrage, the result OF In
late election has given it new lie, ant
,be country must now sqnarely NEE
,ho ouestion, whether tho ballot shal
hs universally given to the negroes
A project is now ON foot to amend ih'
r.l.ral Constitution so as to enfran
,,;se the blacks, or in "loyaP phrase
On make suffrage uniform" 1t is ad
vocated by all the nltra Radicals in The
country, and the moderates are gradu
.rv falling into line. The amendment
will probably not extend to fixing thu
oroliGcations of voters for State Off
.ors II will in all likelihood merely
rr,yiIe for admitting the blacks tC
n,rticipation in the choice OF Congress
man and Presidential Electors. These
offices, it will be held, are rather ma
tional ia their character, and the Federal
Constitution may definitely say who
sbaII vote to fill them, without trench
inc upon anybody's prejudiees Oh tie
State rights question. 1t will be
arrucd that the States will still
have the power to determine, each
for itself, the question of suffrage
in IFS relations 20 local offices and ru.
Isr,. This course will probably be pur-
sued. because an amendment of such "a
character will be more likely to be rat
iGed than one which shall attempt to
fix the qualification OF voters for State
and local officers. IT. will also be well
understood that the amendment in
ouestion will b., in the end, as effective
~ one which would take from the
Staff, All scmblancc of control over
the ballot. 1t will we'll be argued that
wien one, tho negro is allowed to vote
for Pnsil.nt of the United States, it
will not be- long until he is permitted
10 cas-, his ballot for township eonsta-
Die.
We incline to the opinion that the
PROPOSITION To rnfranchiSe the blacks
bv explicit Constitutional provision
will had more favor with the pswers
that he, than the roundabout method,
advocated by some, Of comforting upon
Congress rhc right to prescribe the
qualifications Ot voters in the various
States Make the negIo voter by the
very terms Of the Constitution, and
thai instrument must be amended be-
fore hr can be disfranChisod But II he
holds his ballot at tho will OF Congress,
tue first political revolution may be
followed 10y the rcp,a al Of the act ent.an-
chising him, aud his suffrage would DO
forever dependent upon the complexion
Of the National Legislature. We take
it that the leaders in this matter desire
10 make negro suffrage rs permanent
a. possible and will, Therefore, aim to
entrench it behind the substantial pro-
lection OF Constitutional amendment.
In giving its views of the establish
mcut of uniform rule in regard to snf-
frase throughout the United States, the
New York liD,,, says:
An amendment of tho Constitution
which should provide that erery citizen
gfh, iaihd States, Rdtire or Rdtudli>ed,
'tO0it hGrc tie right 10 rOtC for President
ant for Members Of Congress, Of the
iut't SdfrS-leavins State Legisla-
tnrcS to prescribe such qualifications rs
they please for voters in their own local
affairs, wuul,! seem TO be at once reason
able aud cXpedient,
We DO not believe that such an
amendment could possibly receive the
sIncton Of the number of States requi-
site TO place it in the Constitution. 1t
would enfranchise every "rcbeP in the
country, aud turn the Radicals CON-
pIetcil out of power in the three States
at Tennessee, Missouri ana West Vir-
gIna. In Tennessee, the Radicals have
not only the benefit of negro suffrage,
0nt the additional advantage of q sys.
TEN Of disfrauchisement which excludes
ir'm the ballot seventy thousand white
men. Accept this amendment and it will
NApIy cuiranchise enough voters ts dis
pose of the BROwNLOw dispensation,
'l'ctHaIly aud forever. In Missouri,
r'tLonsh the negroes do not vote, there
aIc ninety five thousand white men in
The same condition. Enfranchise both
These classes, and in spite of the negro
element, the Radicals would be in u
minority of thirty thousand. In West
virginia there ard probable four thou
sand negroes, who would be admitted to
vote under the proposed amendment.
hat the whites who are now disfran.
ehSrb, numbering from twenty to
twenty-five thousand, would also be en-.
l'auchisel along with the BLACKS, and
Nali,tlism in West Virginia would be
"eArG of no more forever.
For these reasons we do not believe
lie States in question would approve
TUE amendment in the shape mon
"0ned 10y the Times, and accord
"S to calculation of the Tribune
'"''r votes would be requisite to
"' fatlieation. The Radicals have
u" objection to adding to their own
'tvngth as much as possible by liber.
81 application OF the doctrine of "equaI
"s0tS' but whenever such policy would
'"'hgthen their enemies merely, why