The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-09-03

ships, we should have ln their sense
Of accountability tho best guarAn.
~ II Ia possible to have Of an impartial
execution Of the law, because they
would then b. amenable TO the public
opinion which they most respect, (thaI
OF their own community and would
DO liable to be turned out In disgrace al
the next .elecIlon for maladmLnlstratlou
These things would throw around Lhl,
law, as they do around all others, q
protection against wrong, which In The
vast majority OF cases would be more
potent for justice than any ar
bltrary regulation imposed through
irresponsible agents.
II must be confessed, we fear, thai
our registry law ls open 10 the charge o.
Irresponslblllty. The county boardi
are appointed by the State Executive
the township registrars by the county
boards. The county boards may b.
honest and JuSLmen; but they may
not be. and In fact sometimes are
not It Is next to impossible they al
ways should be, when selected In thIl
way; for with the best possible In.
tenlions and the best RLtainable inHor.
nation, the Governor cannot always
know whom he Is appointing and he II
liable 10 be grossly deceived. II they
happen 10 be the right kind OF men
they will do their duty fairly II not
perhaps they will not. But they are
tempted to arbitrary measures by the
fact that they arc specially protect
ed agaIns. accountability for thell
acts. Tue county board Ia invest,
ed with absolute power. The Law
declares they "shall have the sole
Jurisdiction TO try and determine the
right OF any person 10 vote under the
constitution and laws OF tho State, " and
"their decision In all cases shall be
Gnal," except In contested elections be
fore the LeRisl sture. The courts, which
are designed TO remedy all possible
wrongs, are powerless before such a
sweeping bestowAl ofprerogatlve as this
We do not know whether the Lsglsla.
ture fully realized how great a license
they were putting In the hands OF these
officers, when they gave this provision
a permanent place in the Code; but II
seems 10 US the denial OF all remedies
In the courts for wrongs done by these
boards, was piece Of unwlse legisla.
tIon, because for the adjudication Of all
questions relating to the highest right
OF the citizen, in each county, 1t clothes
three men usually ignorant OF law, and
very rarely, If ever, qualified for such
a duty, with the functions Of the judges
on our highest Bench.
The law also specifically provides
that no officer Of registration "shall be
liable In any civil suit for his official
action under this chapter" The only
provision Of the law which looks like
responsibility at all Is that II the board
knowingly and wilfully" strike or d
person entitled to register or register
one not entitled, each member shall be
fined not exceeding $50. "But," con-
tlnues the same section, ain any prose.
cu!Ion against the Board OF RegIstra.
ton or any member thereof under his
chapter, 1t shall be presumed that the
act or decision complained of was done
or made In good faith unless the con.
trary be clearly proven" II will be
seen at glance how little OF remedy
there really is In this, and how ex.
tremely difficult 1t would be to
"clearly prove" that the wrong was
knowingly and wilfully" done.
These are some OF the features OF the
law to which we conceive there Is well
grounded objection. It Is 10 be regret>
ted, we think, that 1t was carried into
the Code In this shape. As q matter OIL
fact, these provisions OF the law, how.
ever well meant, have led TO gross
abuses OF execution In several Coun.
ties, which 1t Is the undoubted duty Of
the Republican authorities 10 correct as
speedily and efsctually as possible,
and which 1t would be wise In the next
Republican Legislature to guard against
rlgldly In the future by the necessary
correction Of the law-the best mode OF
correction being, as we think, 10 put
these officers on precisely the same
footing In all respects as other county
officers; that is, to make them elective
by the people OF the county and respon.
sible to their constituents. Another
wholesome feature that ought to be
embodied In the law Is one securing Ia
the minority, under all circumstances
no matter what party that minority
may be, representation In the county
boards-say one out Of three.
But while we believe all this to be
true. let US be distinctly understood by
our Democratic cotemporary here and
by others. The law oughtto be amend.
ed so as to secure rigIdly fair enforce.
ment Of the constitutional provisions
regulating suffrage, without respect 10
party. But there Is no occasion 10
repeal 1t altogether and It ought not to
be repealed. The voters' oath must
stand so long as the constitutional
amendments unrepealed. A good reg
istry law ought to be q permanent
statute on our books.
TRE AMNESTY for political offences
recently proclaimed by the Emperor
Napoleon III, on the occasion OF the
hundredth anniversary OF the birth Of
Napoleon I, has been received with
great approval by the Paris journals.
The course OF the Emperor, It Ia assert-
ed, Is the manner In which Govern
ment acts which Is strong enough to
fear nothing from Its advsrsarIes, and