The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-05-05

no person Is prOnlDlIe0 from VOLlIS IOI
political causes, as in the elections prelim-
mary to the adoption of the present con-
stitution. The number who will be adj
mitted to the polls in future elections,
that have been heretofore disfranchised,
is variously estimated at from ten to
twenty thousand.
HOLDING OFFICE.
Every qualified voter is eligible to of
fee who is not embraced in the 18th
Amendment which declares ''that no per-
son shall be Senator or Representative
in Congress, or elector of President and
Vice President, or hold any Office, civil
and military, in the United States, or
under any State, who, having previously
taken an oath as a member of Congress,
or as an officer of the United States, or
as member of any State Legislature,
or an executive or judicial officer of any
State, to support the constitution of the
United States, shall have engaged in in
surrection or rebellion against the same,
or given aid and comfort to the enemies
thereof. But Congress may, by vote of
two-thirds of each house, remove such
disability"
This clause will debar from Office the
large number who were previously denied
the right to vote But when it is remem-
bered that there are tens of thousands of
patriotic, competent and trustworthy men
who have been true to the State and to
the people in all the vicissitudes through
which they have passed-and among the
number, the gallant and tried spirits who
grew to mems estate during the war and
after its close, and are now capable of
bearing their share of the responsibilities
of the governmental operation of the
proscriptive clause, viii not be seriously
felt.
ENUMERATION OF VOTERS.
By sec. 33, of art 4, the Legislature
is required to provide for the enumera-
ton of the whole number of inhabitants
and of the qualified electors of the State
once in every ten years and the first emu
meration shall be ordered at the first meet
ing Of the Legislature 'nder the neac Con-
stitldt0n.
MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLA-
TURE.
Sections "a and 80, of Art. 4, requires
that Representatives and Senators shall
sat the several periods of making such
enumeration, be apportioned among the
several counties, or districts, according to
the number of qualified electors in each.
1t will therefore devolve upon this Leg
islature to provide for the election of mem
bers to the next by an apportionment
which will give to each county or district
the number of members to which the
number of its voters may entitle it. The
whole number of Representatives is not
to exceed one hundred and twenty; and
of Senators, there shall never be less than
one-fourth nor more than one-third of the
number of Representatives.
The next Legislature will be chosen
under this new apportionment, and it is
a reasonable estimate that # the provision
of the Constitution is executed honestly,
it will materially change the political COM
plexion of that body which was chosen
upon basis of representation framed by
the black-and-tan Convention solely to
throw the Legislature into the hands of
the Radicals, and to the aiG of this dis
honorable gerrymander was brought all
the resources of violence and corruption
by the military commander who was a
candidate for an Office to be filed by the
Legislature.
OTHER OFFICERS.
The Constitution pro~ides that the
Clerks of the Chancery and Circuit
Courts-the Boards of Supervisors of the
several counties-District Attorney
Justices of the Peace and Constables-
and indeed all other county,
township and precinct of6cer,-shall be
elected by the qualified voters. 1t also
authorizes the Legislature toprovide for
the election of County School Superin-
tendents by the people of the several
provision which ought by no
means to be disregarded.
Sec. 6. of art. u, provides that the
present ineumbents of all county, town.
ship and district officers shall hold their
offices until their successors are
elected. AS these incumb.nts were not
elected BY the people, but were appointed
by military power, without their consent,
in manner repugnant tc free govern
ment, and besides are personally objec-
tiOnable to the people, it is proper, in or
der to restore confidence ard remove dis
satisfaction, that elections should be held |
at the earliest practicable period.
AN ELECTION LAW.
To carry into effect these constitutional
law should be passed which |
will secure fair registration; and provide |
against dishonesty in the management of |
the election. To this end, in imitation
c4L o,-o,n,,la &c ofhar States and o. /