Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-06-09
FACE THE MUSIC.

FACE THE MUSIC.
Do you wish to relieve ninety-nine
hundredths of the citizens of Virginia
from ineligibility to office !? If SO, REG
lister AND VOTE"
The paper which published this yes
terday morning, has heretofore told the
people how to vote; and this is the sub.
stance of its teaching: L" Vote down the
Constitution !" Will that relieve " nine
ty-nine hundredths of the citizens OF
Virginia from ineligibility to office %
We do not see how. If the Constitu-
ton is rejected, the l4th Amendment of
the Constitution of the United States
prescribes this " ineligibilty to office y
and the disability can only be removed
by the Congress, "by vote of two
thirds of each house." But our votes
can have no control over that question
in any way, whether we vote for 0,
against the Constitution. The disabili
ty of holding office is in the Constitution
of the United States, and we have nc
power to "vote it down
This ineligibility to office" is mani.
testify what sticks in the crops of the
old Bourbons. They don't want any
government in which they can't hold
ali the Offices We have an excellent
opportunity now, by the adoption of the
expurgated Constitution to get rid Of
the dsfranchisement and The test-oath
but the old Bourbon cares nothing at all
about that. Hence, he is not willing to
have the Constitution at any price-as
long as his ineligibility TO Office re-
mains. If the Constitution should be
adopted, he regards himself as out OF
the ring.
We endeavor to teach the people a
more excellent way. We object to all
acknowledgements, both from voting and
from holding office. We cannot control
the Constitution of the United States,
as we have shown; ineligibility to State
offices we have in our power. But only
by voting for the Const tuition expurga-
ted of the test-oath and DISTINGUISHING
clauses.
If the above text is an adjunct to the
teaching of the paper from which it was
clipped, to vote against the Constitu-
ton, we protest that &" ineligibility to
Office" cannot be relieved by registering
and voting in that way. The text
then would seem not to be analogous to
the teaching--no such sequence will Ie-
suit from such vote. If the Constitu-
ton is rejected nobody is relieved. 1t
is only by the expurgation of the Con-
stitution and its adoption that any re-
lief can be obtained in the present cleo
ton. Such is the memorable logic of
the campaign-and we are at a loss
to conceive of any motive for wish to
mystify or conceal it.
Fellow-citizens, let us all register and
vote with a clear appreciation of the
condition of our State, and with an
honest and sincere desire to obtain for
her people the best government in oul
power. Notwithstanding our adj
verses, all is not lost. 1t may take us
years of trial to secure good govern
ment, such as we desire to live under.
But we must begin. The favorable
privilege now accorded of defeating the
worst features of the organic law under
which we will be placed admonish us
that now is the time for action. I'm
gress may not be 80 favorable to us
next Winter as they were last Spring I;
but may even withdraw from lis the ops
portunity we now have of escape~ from
test.oaths and acknowledgements. Let
us consider our duty to ourselves, to
the State. to her people, to the interests
of our descendants, and let lib at once,
while in our power, restore Virginia to
the Union, and open up to all peoples
her territory for settlement, that they
may aid in her progress and improve
ment. 4i tl