The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-04-06
$500 - a-Ds :. ( $780, -
a Note from Aar. PendletOn.

Editors Dispatch: s go
A paragraph in your paper.of Yesterday .;sS
does great injustice to the CONSERVATIVE
members of the Senate, and as one OF
them I desire to have the proper CORRECTION
made In speaking of the "baiiot," you
co Thai u,he General Assembly should
! not attempt to require qualifications IN inc
vota, q which the Constitution does nos pre-
sc,iho That instrument does not dlsfrah-
ST. MON who cannot read and write.
Therefore, the Legislature should ho' ~
ouirc the voters to do what snch men 'an
not do-that is, write their nah'e' vi 'A'
backs Of their tickets
It is not true that any attempt mas peen
made to require additional quallfcations OF
voters, nor is it true that voters ore re-
ouircd BY the Senate bill regulating cleo
lions 70 write their names on the backs OF
their tickets. Whilst the bill requires that
tho names of voters should be acritten, pro-
vision is expressly made in the bill Tor
writing the names of such voters as are un-
able to write their own names.
think you are equally mistaken IN say
ing that the object Of the trainers OF our
present Constitution, in substituting the
ballot for the living voice, was to make the
net Of voting secret. If you will refer TO
the Journal of the Convention, page 243,
you will find that when it was proposed 10
make the ballot "close" the proposit'oh
was voted down by a majority OF b3 10 -
indicating very clearly that the CohTeh'ton
did not mean 10 attach any particular &c
crccy to the mode of voting proVlueo p'
them. EDM fENpLhioN'
We doubt not that the Senate acted non
estlv. Its error is one of judgment. 'lr-
tuallv, the Senate has prescribed o ne"
qualification for voters. Mr.. PENpLEToS
must see that voters who cannot write are
in effect compelled to make Enoasa the
| names of the persons for whom they Vo'e'
| 1t surely needs mo- argument to SHOW that
this is violation of the spirit mot the
letter. of the Constitution.
Mr.. PENDLEToN misunderstands the &C.
ton of the Convention. The Convention
simply refused to require the voter to &C.
post a secret ballot. 1t left every voter
free either to make known or to keep secret
the names upon his ballot. Anu II tue
| Convention thus refused to compel the 3o'er
to vote secretly, We are forced to conclude
that it would never have consented to COM
pei him to vote openly. AMI to require
every voter to write, or to cause to be WRITTEN
his name upon his ballot, is virtually u
compel every man to vote openly Inc
Convention allowed US to elect between ST.
| crccy and publicity. The Senate deprlVes
| us Of this choice, and says that we snail not
vote unless we tell whom we vote for. Ii
that isn't requiring new quallfcatlon IN
the voters we are greatly mistaken.
We are confident that the House OF Dele
oates will amend the blu in this respect,
and that the Senate will concur IN the
amendment.
We say this, not that we admire the BAL
lot, but that we desire to sec the new order
of things under the Constitution sincerely
and fairly tried. 1t is the only way to put
an end to clamor and complaint, and Is en-
tirely consistent with wisdom and fair deal