Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1869-09-16
ADDRESS
10 he ReIu6Iicaa Toicrsgf Ohio County.

On the 2Sth dlv Of October YOU VIII be call
ell ~ elect your various township officers, aud
h,so three members Of ,he House Of Delegates
and one member Of the State Senate. The
time Tor selecting your candidates for these P0-
sjlons Is drawing near, and this fact is the only
APOLOGY we deem IL necessary TO offer for ven
turing. 40 this time. O. call your attention TO
some considerations connected with thecanVaSs
chat wc regard Of more than ordinary impor-
lance.
You have an So far observed the signs OF the
times as t1 bc well aware that a decided change
has been. and is now. going on ia public opin
ION ..l over tie county, To- rcsQCct TO tie per
mlrent disfaucliemcut Of the great mass Of
those who stand implicated IN the rebellion
You have seen that the Government has granted
them general amnesty and, following its exam
ple. that such States as Missouri and Tennessee,
which were not long ago more extreme than
our own, have greatly relaxed the rigor Of their
test oaths and materially enlarged the scope Of
.Leir elective franchise
70 Is well understood that the administration
ut Washington and the leading minds generally
Of the Republican party iua.l the departments
Of the Government, favor and seek to promote
this G6era,i1el policy on the part Of the States.
To Is also as near certain as anything IN the iu-
turc can be. that the day Of complete eniran-
chisemeut .or al, men, white and black, is close
no hand. This is the manifest tendency Of the
times and very soon we must all accept the
fact, willing or otherwise.
Thcucxt session Of Congress will most likely
sec an the States once more restored TO their
places ia the Union, with representatives, in
both branches and there is scarcely a doubt OF
the ratification Of the 18th amendment TO the
Federal Constitution, which amendment forbids
an political Determinations IN any OF the States
ON account Of race or color.
This being the situation throughout the
country, does il not become Us in Justice to our
own ideas and Sympathies, toadopta party poll
cy in harmony with this prevailing tendency
Of the times jf we desire aud expect to main
tain the asccujeucy Of the political orgauiza-
tjon to which we belong
We believe that the test Oaths that were
adopted In this State during, and at the close
0f the war. were, In the main necessary, If not
absolutely indispensable. They protected the
weekouj exposed counties against theproScrip-
tiou and aggression that must have followed a
return of Jlc disl0yal element % power and
influence. And, IN addition, they have served
well throughout the whole State, As part OF
I The great moral lesson taught by the war
But, while an this, and more, is true, yet it is
also true that under the protection thus afford
ell 90 loyalty abuses, of power, % some extent,
/ have crown up. But this is not the place, nor
the time, % particularize instances, even were
it certainly known TO what extent power has
really been abused in some of the counties IN
the mattcrof registration The abuse Of pow
CT IS os old as the human race and is generally
to be expected under tavorj0g circumstances.
And while we DO not forget the responsibility
of the rebellion itself for these abuses, both in
the way Of prcccpt and example, nor ignore
the pr0vocati0us that have tended to excite
/ passionate executions ofthe law, vet we cannot
on that account lose sight of the great truth
/ that the Just providence Of all law is the pro-
/ lection Of society and not the punishment Of
the offender And therefore, no rig1r. or SEM
| blanCc oi persecution, Is eXcUSabe after the
| public safety is reasonably assured. And as
/ regards the safety Of our loyal people at this
I time. even in che most exposed counties, our
/ information imuresses us with the belief that
we can afford to inaugurate the necessary steps
/ for disc1utiuTing everything known rs war
| legislation.
I On this point we wish 20 be distinctly under
stood, as follows We do not advocate an in
slant ohrogation Of the DISTINGUISHING clause
In our Constitution, t.r that is impossible but
we DO favor prompt steps by our next IegiSla-
tire towards putting 10 In process of repeal
/ o process 10y tlcwly. that win consume upwards
I Of two years from next winter And, in the
meantime. we shall hope o. see the next Le-
/ gjS,ature take an eahy uppo-tuuity todoaway
| with tie test oltls now resting upon Lawyers,
/ Sujtoys. aul School Teachers. These oaths
/ have had their jtv. and. whatever their service
/ In the pas. their fafuye advantage o. the State
may wen DC doubted And 90, for the voters
/ oath. we presume Us he slime il can be legally
. dispensed with underline repeal process alluded
! o.. there will lie few di-iu,grcst,d citizens in
our midst however bitter their rcmcubrances
of the war; who will really regret It's discOn-
. tIUUancc. And finally, as regards the present
registry law. while expressing oUr earnest at
nchmeut 60 the plan OF guarding the purity
ot the hll'ot-boX bv registration Of all the
/ qualified voters Of the State still we shall re-
coive with satisfaction at the hands Of the Lc-
gis'1tUre such am0jifc0tiou Of existing features
as will, among other things, provide for che
election Of the officers If registration by the
people instead Of ,hcir appointment by the
state Executive, and in such a manner. also.
Us vii, secure the minority one representative
In every County Board. believing that these
changes will secure the best guaranty for an
impartial execution Of the law
We believe that gradually ljheralized poll
cy Ike this IS uotouly lust and right j~elf, but
. En-rf~r with tIa GRAM rr-lrF If r.1tri1tisr,,