The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-09-06
The Iniquiiss Of Prescription
"A MODEL REGISTRATION BOARD
Reviewed by a Republican.
STARTLING EXPOSURE OF
CORRUPTION.
ONE MAN POWER IN eREENBRlER.
Enormities of the Disfran-
chisement system.
How Union Men are Prescribed
is THERE NO REMEDY?
WHY OUR STATE CANNOT
PROSPER.
The Right of Suffrage
Regulated by EaScaIs.
A Document for the People.
READ ClNSLlERI YlIEl
Enormities of the Disfran-
chisement system.
How Union Men are Prescribed
IS THERE NO REMEDY?
WHY OUR STATE CANNOT
PROSPER.
The Right of Suffrage
Regulated by RaScaIs.
A Document for the People.
READ! CONSIDER ! VOTE
LBwIsBURG, w. Va, Aug. Q, ls69,
LEWIS BAKER, ESQ:

LEWIS BAKER, ESQ.,:
Wheeling, ". Va.
DEAR SIR :-EIaviug promised you
while here TO furnish you with q state
ment of facts in reference To the pro-
ceedings of rhe Board of Registration of
this county, during the last year or two,
avail myself of the present opportunity
of fulfilling my promise, hoping that 1t
may have some influence in bringing 10
the knowledge of the people in your
section of the State, and particularly to
the officials belonging To my own party,
the anomalous condition of affairs in
this county. The Board is composed of
DR.. j. +. Caldwell, President, DR.. c. A.
Thatcher and John Williams. DR.. Cald-
well has been a resident of this county
for, l believe, some ferty years, and
during that time has earned for himself
the reputation Of being an unmitigated
scoundrel, totally devoid of one spark
of honesty, political or otherwise. There
are hundred of our best, most substan
| tial and truthful citizens, living within
mile of him, who have known him
| long and well, who upon their Oaths
would say, that in any matter in which
he is interested they would not believe
him upon oath. The community at
| large would say the same thing. Both
saint and sinner regard him with utter
adherence and detestation, not because
lie is a republican, but because of his
utter corruption and mendacity.
Dr. c. A. Thatcher, another member
of the board, is a bitter partisan, but |
cannot say of my own knowledge, that
be is disposed to act dishonesty. He
| is "a man of very moderate intellect aud
if he ever makes any resistance TO the
mandates of the President of the board
(of which l know nothing), he has AZ
last to yield to the stronger Will and
! aCuuiesce in whatever the president
determines. OF Mr.. Williams, the re-
mainiRg member, / know but little.
He sits but seldom upon the Board and
appears to care but little about the
matter. So you perceive that j. L.
| Caldwell in point of fact constitutes the
Board. The proceedings before the board
are conducted without any regard
to regularity or fairness or propTiety,
and painfully impress the loeker-on that
each case, as it comes up, has been al
ready disposed of in secret session be-
fore any evidence is heard. The exami-
nation appears to he conducted, not for
the purpose Of ascertaining whether the
party accused was guilty of giving aid
and comfort TO the rebellion, hut to as
certain what political party he belongs
TO, whom he voted for, to what church he
belongs, and questions are frequently
asked by the Board to ascertain these
facts. The Board will allow unregis-
tered men to testify against party on
trial, but will not allow them TO testify
10 his favor. None can testify for him
but registered voters. No fair record of
the proceedings of the Board is kept,
and when they pretend TO take down
the evidence given on any trial, IL is
garbled, and such parts as do not suit
the Board suppressed. The accused
knows nothiug of the charges against
him, nor what ne has to cOntrovert. He
is simply summoned TO prove his loyal.
ty, and that not ouly once, but in many
cases persons have been summoned from
remote parts Of the county three or four
times, bringing large numbers of wit
nesses, At heavy expense, for this same
purpose. Ia short, the Board appear to
act upon the sUppOstlOn that they are
amenable 20 no law, and beyond the
fear Of any punishment, no patter how
gross their outragss upon individuals or
the community. Their actions in many
cases are without warrant Of law, un-
iust (and wIlfulySO, and outrageous
to every sentiment OF hOnOr and fair
ness. Men who are clearly entitled to
be registered are denied the privilege,
because, either they are in the way OF
The political prefnrment Of the PrcsI.
dent of the Board, belonging to the
same political party, or because be
wishes to vent his malignity uPon them
for some act done or word uttered which
does not suit him; while Others, who
have no right whatever under the la"
TO be registered, are registered, never
theless, because Of some advantage ex.
pectel to he gained by him for so doing.
One man, to my own knowledge, was
registered last fall or the consideration
that he would vote for j. +. Caldwell
for the State Senate, for which office
he was at that time an indie
Dendent candidate. The same
members of the BOard,ias | haTo been
lcredibly informed, threatened, while a
pember of the Grand Jury Of this
county, to strike from the list OF voters
all those inrors who wonld not concur
in making an indictment which be was
anTious 70 make, and directed some one
TO take down their names for the p1r'
nose. Whether the indictment was
made or not, dc not know, or whether
auy of the names of those Jurors were
stricken from the register Of voters, !
canDOt tell.
l Twill give you a few among the many
instances of hagraut and wilful wroug
and Injustice of which this Board have
been guilty. The case probably the
most palpable and gross, is that Of John
Erwin, Sr., highly esteemed citizen of
the county, about eighty years OF age
who was known before and during the
war as not only stauEch Union man
but as an outspoken one. and who fol
the utterance of his Union sentiment.
in or near a rebel camp. was taken prs
oner aud carried 10 Giles Court House
AID lodged in jail, and becauss b,
would not take AL oath 10 support tuC
. COnfederacy, be was kept in Jail be
tween one and two months, until the
Confederate authorities. having failed
to compel him to take the oath, becom-
ing ashamed of themselves. | suppose
released him. He remained a Union
man T. the end, was elected supervisor
OF his township after the war, aud reg
istered as a voter, but because ). :
Caldw we'll did not like him, or oecau' ie %
he was a Conservative, (haying oeen
an old line Whig) or for both reasons. ::
be was stricken from the register .. =.
voters, and that without any Ln.Is .n"'
could be called evidence sgalkst MN.
The case of George H. Lewis Is an
other instance Of the grossest ipJuS'ice'