Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-06-22

ule provides that no persons DISQUALIFIED
from voting or registering under this Con
stitution shall vote for candidates for an,
once, nor be permitted to vote for the rat
1hcation or rejection of the Constitution a
the polls herein authorized, assumed to b,
In force before its adoption in disregard o
the law of Congress. The Constitution
undertakes to impose upon the electors
other and further conditions. Tht
NTH section of the eighth article
provides, that all persons before registering
or voting must take and subscribe to an
oath which among other things contains
the following: THAT 1 accept the civi
and political equality OF all men, and
agree not to attempt to deprive any per
son or persons on account of color or pre-.
vious condition, OF any political or civil
rlght, privilege or immunity enjoyed by
any other class of men,
| lC is well known that a very large
portion of the elections in all the States, il
not all, majority do not believe in or ac-
ecept the practical equality OF Indians.
Mongolians or Negroes with the race to
OF the states of the North and West were
required to take such an oath as a
test OF their qualifications there is rea-
son TO believe that q majority of
them would remain from the polls rather
tnan comply with such degrading condi-
t,ons. HOW far, and to what extent this
test oath prevented the registration of those
who were qualified under the laws of Con-
gress, 1t Is impossible to know, but such
was its effect, at least sufficient to overcome
the small and doubtful majority in favor of
the Constitution, there can be no reasonable
doubt. f ~
Should the people of Arkansas, there
lore, desiring to regulate the elective fran
chlse SO as to make it conform to the in
SflfntInng yat-a - A.
States of the North and West, and modify
the provisions referred to in the funda-
mental conditions, what is the cOnse-
quence? Is it intended that a
denial of representation shall follow? II
SO, may we not expect at some future day a
recurrence of the troubles which have so
long agitated the country? Would it not
be the part of wisdom to take for our guide
the Federal Constitution rather than to re-
sort TO measures, which looking only to the
present may in few years renew in an
aggravated form the strife and bitterness
reached by legislation, which has proved to
be so i'll timed and unfortunate.
wssSin wsEneas D. G. ASDRey Joae 70 JGfassoS' fsgs
Sale of Gunboat Is 10 she Peruyfans.
The report of the Retrenchment COM
mlttee upon the sale of the iron clads
Ottawa and Catawba to Swift & Co., who
resolu Inem TO the HruSSlan Government,
states that they cost the Government S62,-
200 each, and were sold for $4,000 for
both. The committee have no doubt of
collusion existing between Swift & Co.
and MIR. Merrill, agent of the Navy De-
partment, and also intimates that the Sec
retary of the Navy himself had q knowl-
edge OF the circumstance.
Tney state that all the governmental |
parties OF Peru, Spain, and the United |
states are fully aware of the sacts in the |
case and call upon the executive depart
nent to prevent the sailing of the vessels |
or Peru as they are being loaded with |
guns, ammunition and other war materi-
iis, plainly showing that they intend to
violate the international treaties of this
The Tax on Whisky and Tobacco.
1T is reported that the tax on whisky has
been Today fixed at 60 cents. The finer
qualities of tobacco are reduced from 40 to
p cents. There is not much change on
'ther kinds. The bill is long, embracing
administrative sections on these subjects
in the tax bill hetofore reported.