The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1869-10-11

z.',g--.sz- 1879 -.
facts. For three years has the Registra-
ton law been IN force, and for three years
has the County been searched for men
who could legally be stricken of, The
The Board of Registration heretofore have
exercised all the powers vested in them to
weed out illegal voters. The party in
this County has been active, vigilan' and
untiring. and ye, to say at this late day
that there were twenty,eight men in one
Township improperly and illegally regis
tered, is, to use the language ola former
Registrar, au outrage on common sense
and shows fraud upon its face.
We say this, and We say it with a full
sense Of our responsibility: That every man
who has been stricken of Of the lists Of
voters ut the late session Of the Board Of
Registration, has been ILLEGALLY plsrRAS-
cnlsEp. and the members efthe Board are
iliuLle 10 an indieimeNttherctor III each and
eeery case:
In proof of,,lis, we cite the opinion Of
Judge james II, Ferguson, the author Of
the Registration Law, which is as follows:
| 1t is the business Of the voter to prove
that he is embraced by the affirmative
propositions Of the Consti,ution-tbai he
is white male citizen 81 years Of .ge.
| 1t is the business Of the State TO prove she
disablemcnts, il any exist. under whirhhe
may DO excluded because sl,slc the State
may prove an affirmative he cannot prove
a negative. To "prove that he was
loyal" means to prove thai he was not dis
loyal and did not participate. Nobody
can prove my sseh thing efcesrse. Tho
State may prove tho affirmative proposition
that mar was disloyal and did participate
in the rebellion, tut the negative propo-
si.ion that be was not ard did not, Is not a
provable proposition at all. either in Law
or logic"
Now 10 NO instance was there even an
attempt made to prove any act Of disloyalty
on the part Of the State, nor was there any
charge Of auvthing except mere sympathy
against single one. The State did not
introduce single witness, but upon the
contrary, SO for as q negative could be
proved. every single man proved that he
had never done augh: against the Govern
mcnt. We say then. that, viewed in this
ligh-giying the law the construction
given j. by its author, and that which is
bound to be given it by any lawyer, the
action Of tic Board was wholly illegal
was outragcous-was fraud in its incep-
lion--and a persecution in its results--a
vile scheme Of fraud Matched in the pro-
li6c brain ofJancs NJ. Corley, and carried
out to achieve bis own selfish purposes.
Il a
We now propose to say few words
about this individual.
JAMES ". coRLEY,
the acting President Of the Board Of Reg.
istration, is well known to The. people o,
this County, and also to the people Of
Brazton County. where he resided at the
commencement Of the war. His. very up.
pcarancc indicates lis chsncter, which.
to paint in its true colors would compel US
to descend to the lowest sinks Of corrup-
ftion, aud borrow terms from Billingsgatc
Destitute Of brains, as lic is of character
bankrupt in intellec, as he is in honor, he
isa low. degraded viper. covering withthc
slime Of his own infamy whatever he
touches; crawling in the lowest depths Of
the excrcsenccs Of bis masters, and wal
lowing in the tiltl: cast out from the augean
stables Of political corruption. lie i, a
walking embodiment Of all that is nean /,
low. abhorred, de,cstablc, barbarous. en-.
vious, hard. hearted; illibcral, passionate,
quarrclsome, abominuble, bitter. disagree
able, gross, malicious, rccvish, violent,
waspish, clustering, Disconnected, rowl-
ling, hateful, malignant, ner,crsc, odious,
choleric, disgusting, incorrigiLlo. mischic.
vous, offensive. ssarpish snarling, sneak
ing. arrogant, boorish, brutal, grabbed,
cross, currish, insolcnt, irascibl, opprcs.
sivc, oyerbe,ring, outrageous, treacllcrous.
and tyrannical in the human form, q dis
grace to bis kindred aud his race, a mis-.
cry alike to himself and lis friends, Ind
an occurred abortion Of what vas intended
for an honest man. So much for bis clar-
aeter.
We now give an insight into bis poli,i-
cal s'andingIin the beginning Of the war
We state, 1st That james NJ. Corley,