Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-05-26
The Issues in Virginia.

The election to be ordered in Vir-
ginia will turn, in effect, altogether
upon the adoption or rejection of the
following clauses in the new Consti-
tuition. These are the only sections
TO be submitted to separate votes.
The attempt to secure distinct action.
upon another clause relating to the
organization of townships and conn
ties, has not been approved bv the
President. The only separate votes
and the only contest will be on the
two sections below, the Constitution.
with or without them, being certain
Of a general approval.
The following is the fourth clause of
the first section of the third article,
which covers the acknowledgements:
Every person who has been a Sen
atOr or Representative in Congress,
or elector of President or Vice Presi-
dent, or who held any Office, civil or
military under the United States, or
under any state, who, having previ-
Ously taken an oath as a member of
Congress, or as an officer of the
United states, or as a member of a
state Legislature, or as an executive
judicial officer of any State, shall
. have engaged in insurrectiOD or re-
belion against the same, or given aid
or comfort to the enemy thereof.
This clause shall include the the fol-
lowing officers: Governor, Lieuten-
ant Governor, Secretary of State,
Auditor of Public Accounts, Second
Auditor, Register of the Public Land
Office, State Treasurer, Attorney Cen
eral' Sheritfs, Sergeant of city or
town, Commissioner of the Revenue,
County Surveyor, Constables, Over
seers of the Poor, Commissioner of
the Board of Public Works, Judges
of the Supreme Court, Judges of the
| Circuit Court, Judge of the Court of
Hastings, Justices of the County
I Courts, Mayor, Recorder, Alderman,
Councilman of a city or town, COro-
ners, Executors, Inspectors of Tobacco
and Flour, and Clerks of the Supreme,
District, Circuit and County Courts,
and of the Court of Hastings. and
Attorneys for the Commonwealth.
provided that the Legislature NAV,
by a vote of three-fifths of both
Houses, remove the disabilities incur
red by this clause from any person in
cluded therein by separate vote on
each case"
The test oath feature, which is the
seventh section of the third article, is
as follows:
'In addition to the foregoing oath
of Office, the Governor, Lieutenant
Governor, members of the General
Assembly, Secretary of State, Audi
tor of Public Accounts, State Treas
urer, Attorney General, and all
persons elected to any convention to
frame a constitution for this State. or
to amend or revise this Constitution
IN any manner, and Mayor or Council
of any city or town, shall, before
they enter on the duties of their re-
spective offices, take and subscribe the
following oath or affirmation, prOvid-
ing the disabilities therein contained
may be individually removed by
three-fifths vote of the General
Assembly: t., do slemnly
swear, or affirm, that 1 have never
voluntarily borne arms against the
United States since I have been a
citizen thereof; that have vOlun-
tarily given no aid, eountenanee
counsel or announcement to persons,
engaged in armed hostility thereto /:
that L have never sought or accepted.
nor attempted to exercise the fiune-
tiOns Of any Office whatever under
any authority or pretended authority
in hostility to the United States that
/ have not yielded a voluntary sup
port TO any pretended Government,
authority, power or Constitution
within the United States hostile or
inimical thereto. And do further
swear, or affirm, that to the best Of
my knowledge and ability, 1 will
support and defend the Constitution
of the United States against all enc
mics, foreign and domestic; that /
will bear true and faithful allegiance
to the same; that I have taken this
obligation freely, without any mental
reservation or purpose or evasion;
and that / will well and faithfully
discharge the duties of the office on
which | am about to enter, so help
me God"
The above oath must also be taken
by all city and county officers, before
entering upon their duties, and by all
other State officers not included in
the above provision. State officers
only viii be chosen. The Constitu-
ton itself will provide for Congress
siOnal election in November A new
and complete registration of voters is
to be made forthwith.