The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-10-15
The lntelligeucer md the Democratic
Platform.

ligeacer takes ground in favor of contir
uiug the registration law. The ON
county Republican Convention, in II
platform, also took the same view. In
Intelligencer attempts to qualify D
talking about notifications, bu
if it gives a consistent support I
the county Republican candidates,
is bound 20 support them upoI
the platform on which they wer
nominated. That platform, according
to the construction of Mr. HUBBARD
under which it was adopted, mean
simply the repeal of the Oaths for Suit
ors, Lawyers and Teachers, and the con
tinuance of the Registration law in 1t
present shape. The platform of th'
Democratic party demands its repeal
The Republicans want to continue th'
perpetration of such outrages as are
reported from Lewis county this morn
ing, aud from other counties almost
every day. The Democrats want tt
remedy the evil by abolishing the source
of the evil. This, in nutshell, is the
difference between the two parties il
Ohio county on that question.
The objections against repeal urged
by the Intelligenoer are extemporized fol
the occasion. Registry laws, fairly ad'
ministered, and allowing every qualified
voter to vote, may be of use in large
cities, but in a thiHiy populated State
like ours, where almost every promin emf
man knows every legal voter in his
tow nship, no matter how liberal the
terms Of the law, it can never be any
thing but source of annoyance to the
legal voters, and of useless expense to
the taxpayers.
The attempt to convey the idea that
the registration law is a part Of the
Constitutional Amendment, is so feeble
that it falls of itself. Every voter
knows that the law was in force before
the Amendment; that if it was uncen-
stitutional when the Amendment was
passed upon the Amendment itself was
never adopted, and that if was con-
stitational then, it exists independently
of the Amendment and may be repealed
without impairing the Amendments
legal force.
The Mteliigencer suggests that the re-
peal of the Registration law would be
"a practical notification of the Amend
ment of 1866" That's queer doctrine
from source which declared, the other
day, that so much of the Amendment as
denies citizenship to the rebels is null
lity. The MtelEgencer, with character,
istic loyalty" proposes to nullify SC
much of the Constitution as does not
suit it and to enforce so much as it can
make of practical benefit.
Desiring to show that Mr.. HUBBARD'S
proposed Amendment for enfrauchising
all citiz ~, reached the rebels who are
denied citlzaU hip by our Constitutional
Amendment, it made nullity of that
part of the Amendment by citing the
Fourteenth Amendment to the Fedora
Constitution which says: "All persons
born or naturalized in tue United States
and subject to the jurisdiction thereo
are citizens of the United States, and o.
the State wherein they reside" Let us
admit that this nullifes the character
izing provision of our State Constitu
ton. What then becomes of our dis
franchising provision as now enforced
when brought under the operations o.
this clause of the same section of the
Fourteenth Amendment from which the
Iatelliqencer quoted' "Nor shall any
State deprive any person Of life, liberty
or property without due process o.
law" What becomes of our Amendment
as now enforced, when made subject
to Amendment Fifth, Federal Constltu'
ton; mo person shall be held to answer
for capital or otherwise infamous crime
unless on the indictment of a GranC
Jury, except in cases arising in the lanc
or naval forces, or in the militia wher
in actual service" What become of oul
Amendme Mt as at present enforced
when if made subject to Amendment
Sixth, Federal Constitution ain al
criminal prosecutions, the accused shall
enjoy the right to speedy and public
trial, by an impartial jury of the State ant
district wherein the crime shall hay;
been committed"
1t may be said that these clauses aP
ply to the registration law rather thar
to the Amendment. If so, it is tn
strongest possible argument in favor o
the repeal of that law. So far as ou
Amendment is made to disfranchise per
sons not legally convicted of treason
lust that far does it conflict with the Fed
eral Constitution, and if that instru
ment is to be respected when it protect
citizenship, it is to be no less respecte'
when it protects the right of suffrage
But the object Of the Democrats
not, like that of the Intelligencer, t
nullify one part of the Amendment o
1866 and enforce the rest. 1t is to en-
force the whole in legal and constitu
tional manner. Wherever a man ha
been duly aud legally convicted Q
having aided the rebellion b
GENES within the scope of the Amend
ment, but where his guilt has bee
merely proclaimed, not even ascertainet
by Board of registration, it is n
con nviction; he is deprived of his libel
ty without due process of law" l
brief. if the State Constitution is to b
enforced in harmony with the FEEDER:
Constitution, no man ca" be digranchis'
for treason except upon the rerdict Of ajHr
,or;,t;op from this rule, like tina