The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-03-21

all persons before voting to subscribe
an oath that they accept the civil and
j political equality of all men, and agree
not to attempt to deprive any person or
persons, On account ofrace, color, or pre-
vious condition, of any political or civ
il right, privilege or immunity enjoyed
BY any other class of men. Fourth, Be-
\ cause in apportioning representation to
the people of the several counties OF the
State, it ignores three counties, and
leaves them without any representation.
Fifth, Because it gives to twcnty-four of
the fifty-nine counties in the State.
which are recognized as having white
population of252, ,407. and black popu-
lation of 1926, 1910, sixty-five of the one
hundred Representatives which come
pose the House of Representatives; and
it gives to the remaining thirty-tive
counties havinga white population of
280,2 and a black population of ILL.,
157 but one representative to each; be-
cause it apportions representation in
the same way as near as may be. SiIth,
Because by these means it places the
power to impose tax and all other leg
islatiye power in the hands of those
who win he no tax payers when it-gOes
anu ucpllNCo
tof those who will have to pay the taxes
of the right to vote or the power 10 pro-
ttect themselves against the oppression
with Which theywill beinevitably visit
ed. SereRtk, Because it makesno provision
for and does not make it the duty of the
Legislature to appropriate the money
raised by law for csmmOn schools,
equally and separately for the benefit
of the white and black children in the
States. Eighth, Because, after declaI-
ling IN the first section of the third at
.lticle the power of the Government of
the State of Alabama shall be divided
Into three distiact departments,
namely, the legislative, executive,
and isdieial, it provides in the
fifth section of the eleventh article that
the Board of. Education shall exercise
J full legislative ypO wsrp in reference to
-lthe educational institutions of the
State, aud it's acts, when approved by
the Governor OF when re-enacted by
two-thirds of the Board in case of his
ldisapproval, shall have the force and
effect of laws, unless repealed by the
General Assembly. Ninth, Because it
divides tho militia into two classes,
namely, the volunteer militia and the
reserve militia, and it is made the duty
of the Governor, by an ordinance which
was not published with the constitution
for the information of the people. as
two others were which were less objec-
tiOnable, to organize Immediately 137
companies of volunteer militia, which
are to be armed and paid, when in ser
vice, at the same rate as United States
lofficers aud soldiers, out of the State
Treasury, the mounted men to have
per cent. per day for their horses.
Tenth, Decause by the Twentieth sec
tion of said ordinance, which
goes into operation with the con-
stitution, all proceeds of the sale
Of contraband and captured property
seized or captured by the militia shall
constitute q part of tn fund out OF
which they are to be paid, thus melting
the volunteers to harrass the people III
time of peace by unlawful seizures, and
so provide the means of paying them
tselves, if the property seized is honestly
turned over. Eierenth, Because this
Constitution provides for Government
\ which will cost annually from 81, ,5OO,-
900 to S2,00O,000, IL sum which the
| Taxpayers of the State a:e wholly una
BILE to meet in their present irnpover-
ished condition, and u Il
.Whe,eas, Said registered voters be-
| lieving that they had the right to de-
feat the Constitution so objectionable
4 as this in either of the ways provided IN
the aforesaid acts, and relying on their
own and the good faith of Congress in
their behalf, they made public their
resolution some weeks in advance Of
said election not to vote at said cleo
ton, but to stay away from the polls; and
U'hereas, This large majority OF regis
tered voters for the reasons aforesaid,
were opposed to the adoption of said
! Constitutions, and did not vote at said
election, and did not 60 to the polls,
thereby avoiding all occasion of VIE
lence and disorder; and
4 Whereas, 1t is now charged by those
who favor the adoption of the said Con-
stitution that there is no reason to
ldoubt that majority of the legally reg
istered voters residing in the State &C
tually voted at said election, aud be-
lieving that they voted for the Constl-
tution, and that at least 10000 legally
registered voters attempted to vote but
were unable to do SO for reasons set
forth in paper published III the Dd'ty
Globe of March II, 1868, and sworn to
by Albert Griffin, John c. ketfer and
others before n0tary-pubiic OF the city
of Washington, on the Goth day OF Feb
ruary, 1865, and
4 Whsreas, Those registered voters VINO
opposed the adoption OF said Consttu-
tion have no desire to avoid thorough
and Searching Investigation of all mat
ters connected with the election; and
IN Threas, There is good reason to be-
il llieye-F,yt, That the freedmen In
large numbers in all er most of the
counties of the State refused to vote for
ri the adoption of said Constitution when
they saw the great body Of the old white
citizens, with whom they were well lac-
Il 0naitted, with whom they had always
\ lived, aud with whom they expect to
continue to live, aud who were pcrma-
T nently interested in the State, were op-
:, posed to it, SeooM, That' their
purhose not toI vote WAS strength
ened by the fact that those white
. men who were most active
, in favor Of its adoption were new. CON.
ers, of whom they knew little or moth
{ ing, and who had no visible interest IN
the State or freedmen, except to get
Office. Third, That in many Instances
/ these new comers and those who aided
/ them used threats of violence to the
freedmen If they did not come and vote,
and promised them land and muies-1
and in this way induced or scared
nan y into goihgeo the polls who would
not otherwise have gone. Foarh, That
: many freedmen voted who were not OF
legal age, and also voted for Others who
were unwilling to come TO the polls and
vote, or were unable to. F9th, That
many of the freedmen voted more than
one.ticket, and in some instances where
they were detected they excused them-
selves because of ignorance, and gave
the names of white men, who were can
didates for Office, as the persons who
, had given them the roll of paper and
told them to put it into the box, that it
twas all right Sirth, That many freed
men voted in counties where they did
not live, aswell as in the counties where
they did live; this w&s the case in No
J bile, Dallas, Montgomery, Barbour,
: Haiti. Macon, Lees, Green and Maren-