The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-10-21

that power sucn ABUSES aFe iehueieu
impossible.
Results of the Registration sysfem.
Those who desire to study the work
ings of the registration law, have fine
opportunity in the perusal of the letter
from Greenbrier elsewhere published.
Some time ago, NAT HARRISON and the
President of the Board of registration
in Greenbrier county attempted to dis
place certain Republican office. holders
by disfranchising them. Doctor CALD-
WELL struck from his lists the names of
MCPHERSON, ROBINSON, LEWIS and
WALKER, the Clerk of the Circuit Court,
the Sheriff, the Recorder, and the Su-
pervisor of Lewisburg Township.
Through HARRIsoN's management these
men were turned out of Office and their
places given to the friends and relatives
of Caldwell. The Supreme Court ofthe
State ordered their offices to be restored
to them. To thwart this, indictments
are brought for perjury, convictions in
HARRIsoN's Court will follow as a
matter of course, and thus the object
will be accomplished.
Politically, we have no sympathy
with any of the parties concerned. They
are all Republicans; there is no De-
mocracy nor rebelism involved in the
transaction. At the same time these
cases forcibly indicate the low uses to
which the registration law is being per-
verted. As these proscriptive officers
are in the habit of DISTINGUISHING Dem
ocrats to get rid of the influence of
their votes, so they do not hesitate to
disfranchise men of their own party
who stand In the way,of their ambition.
When tho object cannot be accom-
plished directly by striking names from
the list, the indirect method resortsd to
in the cases of MCPHERSON and others
still remains. AS none but voters can
serve upon juries, the registrars have
virtually the picking of the juries in
their counties. When as in Greenbrier
the acting Clerk, Recorder and
Supervisors are the tools of the
Board of registration, the con-
troll is complete. A jury to in
dict any man on any charge can easily
be packed. Whether this has been done
in the present case we do not pretend
to say. We leave the facts to speak for
themselves. But as the charges against
MCPHERSON and others have been per-
mitted to lie unnoticed for several years,
especially as they have brought out in
the midst of quarrel between these
men aud their prosecutors, we GER
tainly think that the indictments are
the result of malicious instigation. Ii
CALDWELL & Co. had been honest in
their course they would not have wait
ed until now before commencing these
proceedings.
The indictment Of CALLIsoN Is the
most remarkable. He was named, it
will be remembered, as the successor OF
CALDWELL, President of the Greenbrier
Board of registration. Claiming to act
under orders from the Governor OF
later date than CAILIsoN's commission,
CALDWELL refused to vacate. At last
accounts he still held the place with the
full knowledge of the Governor. His
latest proceeding is to indict CALLIsoN
for perjury in taking the Test Oath. 1t
strikes us, as it will strike every Impair
tial mind, that however it may be
called, the indictment is brought
against CALLIsoN for the fagrant crime
o. consenting TO supplant "Old Scratch
on the Board of registration.
The state of affairs now existing in
Greenbrier is largely due to the Govern
or's refusal to remove CALDWELL last
summer when strongly urged to do so.
Had he not permitted CALDWELL to re-
tain his place, and with it control OF
the Voters list, the jury list and the
office holders list, we should have had
none of these disgraceful proceedings
The responsibility rests at the door of
the Governor of the State. Let his
organ, the IRtelligenoer, deny the fact,
If it can.
Just now, when the infamous ch arac-
ter of our resistration system is being
forced upon public consideration, we
are asked to elect some Republican gen.
tiemen from Ohio county to the Legis.
lature whose object will be not to reform
existing abuses, but to perpetuate them.
Beaten down and kept down by abler
sspirants in their own party they simply
ask to be restored to the high position
in that party from which they
have been thrust, aud leave no room TO
doubt that with their political resurrec-
| ton the pfamies of prescription, which
they aided in originating and fasten-
ing upon the State, will be given a new
lease of life. Let US render it impOssi-
BILE to continue this outrageous condi-
tioa of things, by the election of Leg
| islature which will do away with the
cause of the curse. the registration law
itself.
A medallion, with the inscription
"Died of Poison" was found upon the
tomb of French Baroness, Madame h,
who died in Paris several months ago.
1t is supposed to have been placed there