The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-10-14

W
Convention ASSENT led, be it
RcSoLued, That as the people Of West
Virginia, without distinction OF party,
are united In recognIzIng the inluultv
Of prescription, We are encouraged 10
renew our demand for the prompt re-
peal OF the registration law, and OF
every test oath which now dIsHraces
our statute books, and for the BpeedIest
possible abrogation Of the dIsiranchIs.
Ing amendment 10 our State Constitu.
ton passed upon in May, 1865,
Without stopping 10 consider The con
sISIency or modesty Of this demand"
from men who are unwilling to recog-
nIzs In others the rights they claim for
themselves. let us examine 1t on It's
merits. This demand Ia made up of two,
One Is for 1.-THE prompt repeal OF The
registration law" the other the "spesd-
les possible" abrogation OF the constl.
tutIonal clause denying suffrage TO the
late rebels. Upon both these points we
have expressed our Views so often that
we feel somewhat reluctant to repeat
themi but understanding that our
views on this matter. ARE substantially
those OF our Republican friends gen.
orally. we venture to relterate for the
sake Of defining the Issue made In the
foregoing resolution.
In regard TO this restriction on suE-
frage, It can only be removed by
amendment TO the Constitution, II we
mean that laws while they exist shall
be enforced on the one hand and obeyet
on the other. There are two modes OF
amendment, one by a convention and
tho popular ratification OF It's action;
the other by two successive legislatures
and like ratification. For ourselves we
are utterly opposed to calling a conven.
tlon, and so VIC believe are nine .tenths
OF our party. The reasons for this 1t
cannot be needful to repeat. We desire
the amendment by the other process,
which has been so often explained In
our columns that our readers all know
what III Is.
In regard 10 the Registry Law: q
proper election law, Of which this Is but
part, Is one that will best enforce the
constitutional rule, whatever 1t may be,
touching suffrage. A registry law La
under all circumstances one Of the most
necessary and valuable features Of any
election law. It Is all the more neces.
sary where there Is an exceptional rule
Ike that now existing. We don't be.
lIeve In notification, either In general
or local way, either by positive leglsla.
ton, or for lack OF legislation; and
therefore while that constitutional dis.
elimination exists. we are for a rlgor.
ously impartial enforcement OF 1t. We
would have every man vote who Is en-.
titled under the constitution, and no
ono who is not. The object OF regis.
try law Is precisely that,-to admit the
rlghtful vOlers aud exclude all others,
SO far as we know, nothing 80 efficient
to this end has ever been devised as a
registry made a reasonable time be-
fore election and placed at the polls as
aguide TO the election officers. II Tour
Democratic friends have anything to
propose that will better effect the de.
sired end, why don't they bring It for.
forward7 We presume no one doubts
that without registry law Of some
sort 1t would be impossible to enforce
the present rule OF the constitution regu-
laLlng suffrage. Yet the Democrats
propose simply to destroy the present
law. They propose nothing to take lLs
place. Their policy Is only destructive;
and since tho constitution would be a
dead letter without appropriate leglsla-
tlon to enforce It, we conclude their
purpose Is practical notification OF
the Amendment OF 1866 until It IL re-
pealed. We do not think their dlsclos-
ure OF such purpose strengthens their
demand" or hastens such legislation
as Ia really desirable.
We have hitherto indicated very
plainly our opinion that the registry
law In Its present form Is sometimes
made the instrument Of injustice. A
large number Of our fellow citizens
here have expressed q like opinion
among them two OF our present candI.
dates for the House Of Delegates. We
have expressed the belief, and 80 have
they, that the election OF the reglstra-
ton officers by the people OF the coun.
ties and townships where they have
Jurisdiction, would afford the best guar.
anty 1t Is possible to have under our
form OF government OF an impartial
execution OF the law, and that In this
way, with law legitimate In It's scope
and properlyguarded, "a fair enforcement
OF the constitutional restriction might
DO secured. This and whatever other
notifications OF tho present law 1t can
be fairly shown are needed to effect this
end, we think the Legislature should
make at once.
But this ls not what our Democratic
brethren demand" II the foregoing
resolution Is an exponent ofthelr views,
They demand that there shall. be no
registry law at all, and that 1t shall be
destroyed Immediately; which means,
frs, that the ex-rebels shall vote at once
without waiting for tho repeal Of the
Constitutional restriction; and second,
that our elections shall at all times be
80 exposed to fraud as to render Demo.
cratic victories as easy as they have
hitherto been In Philadelphia and New
York, Every man Of either party who
wants to preserve purity In our cleo
lions and who Is willing to respect un.
wise laws I'LL they can be lawfully 70.
pealed or corrected, will agree with us
that this demand Is unreasonable and
this purpose utterly indefcnslble.
THE INTELLIdENoER of yesterday
makes a malignant assault upon Mr..
Daniel Lambs personal integrity
Register.
The INTRLT1npNCpp ala M ona,,