The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-02-28

nesty the rebels. Soon the question
tion will be, shall they amnesty you ]
Look at Kentucky and Maryland and
read your certain fate in theirs"
That's the voice of one of your lead
ers two years ago. Now let us see how
his predictions are verified. In 1866 the
Republican majority was between
twelve and thirteen thousand, in 1865
liz was about six thousand aod last fall
the vote was very nearly equal. The
day Greedy predicted is upon you. The
people ara demanding a change and
thaSchange you must give them.
Last fall men were elected to this
Senate and to the House of Delegates on
what is known as the "let mp" platform.
l will not say that some of these have,
to use a common expression, "gone
back" on their promises but / will say
that since they came here they have
found cause to change their opinions.
l tell you, sir, unjust and arbitrary
laws will return with interest TO plague
the inventors. Suppose next year
Governor of different political opinions
from the present one should be elected,
and he should appoint Boards of regis
tration to carry out his views, and they
should strike from the lists the name OF
every Senator here, where is your rene
ldy7 There are, to-day, about 10, ,OOO
men deprived of suffrage by the will OF
Boards of registration. This is an out
rage, sir, il is not republican, it is un-
Just and contrary to the spirit OF our
institutions.
I Mr.. GATHERS, of Gilmer, still fur
thcr explained his position. He said he
had pledged himself to vote for the re.
peal of three test oaths, and to amend
the constitution so as to permit the dis
franchissd to vote. He Claimed he had
kept all his pledges, though he cannot
vote for any amendment of the registra-
tion law.
Mr.. PHELPS had no apologies or ex-
plantations to make. He had favored
modification of the registration law, and
expected to favor it to the end. This
bill does not propose to let any one vote
whom the constitution says shall not
vote, but it proposes TO compel the Board
of Registration to permit every man to
vote who can, under the constitution
exercise the right of suffrage in this
State. We are interested in this as a
party. Can we 60 before the people and
say we have submitted to You propo.
sition to amend the constitution
to allow rebels to vote, but we
refused to compel registrars, who may
disfranchise man from spitesor other
cause, who is already entitled to vote
ander the constitution, to place his name
on the registration lists I The constitu-
tion says if man haYe discharge In
his pocket, he shall not be questioned;
yet, under the registration law, the reg
istrar can compel this discharged Union
soldier to prove his loyalty, and if he
fail to Prev a negative he is deprived
of his right to vote. l know of cases
where, because a soldier was about to
vote for the opposition his name was
stricken from the list and he could not
vote.
1t NAV be said this bill comes from tine
| Democratic side of the house. i don't
care where it comes from, it is right, and
u can support it because it is right.
Had l been in the Legislature when
these laws were coditied / should have
opposed that law, for as it now stands
it is unequal, oppressive and unjust. L
can tell my Republican friends here
! today that if they refuse a proposition
as fair as this they will drive thousands
of men from the Republican party. Let
us amend the law. do not mean re-
peal when l say amend. Every State
needs a registration law. Don't let US
have law by which soldiers and hon
est men who may differ with us polit.
ically can be deprived of what we hold
to be the dearest right of freemen.
Mr.. WILSON read from letter writ
ten by Senator James Gather pledging
himself to the voters of his District to
vote in favor of removing all disabili-
ties and test oaths.
Mr.. GATHER, of Gilmer explained
how he came to write the letter. There
| is but one word in that letter | regret
or have to take back, and that is where
l say "if the Democratic party will
support me-" was in the condition OF
the Dutchman who got hold OF the tur-
pentine bottle instead of the whisky,
"Mein Got, if l could only swaller him
pack agin." | never was a Democrat
and always have said so. And | am
ready to-day to face anything ever
wrote.
| The question being on the engross-
ment of the bill,
Those voting in the affirmative were
Messrs. Applegate, Cook, Davis, Dayton,
Patrick, Phelps, Wilson,.
These voting in the negative were
Messrs. Boreman, Brown, Gather of Tay-
lor, Gather of Gilmer, Crane, Doolittle,
Gold, Harman, Humphreys, Koonce,
Leonard, Ramsdell, WerniDger, Mr..
President Farnsworth-l4.
So the Senate refused to order the
bill to third reading.
Senate Bill No. 10, to alter the lines
between the counties of Taylor, Harri-
son and Barbour.
Senate BllgNo. ia, relating to back
taxes on personality.
On motion of Mr.. FOREMAN, the
rules were suspended and the bill
passed.
House Joint Resolution No. 8, propos-
ing an amendment to the Constitution
of the State, striking out the word
"white."
The question being on ordering the
resolution to q third reading,
Those voting in the Affirmative were
Messrs. Brown, Gather of Taylor, Gather
of Gilmer, Cook, Crane, Davis, Dayton,
Doolittle, Gold, Hsrman, Koonce, Leon
ard, Patrick, Phelps, Ramsdell, Mr..
President Farnsworth-l6.
Those voting in the negative were
Messrs. Boreman, Humphreys, Wernin-
ger, Wilson,.
So the resolution was ordered to
third reading.
House Bill No. 5, to incorporate the
Charleston Gas and Water Company.
Ordered to third reading.
House Bill No. II, to refund certain
taxes Ordered to third reading.
House Bill No. II, to amend the char
ter of Elizabeth, Writ county. Ordered
to third reading.
House Bill No. 50, to amend the law
in relation to deeds of trust. Ordered
to third reading.
House Bill No. 50, to amend the char
ter of the town of Hedgssville, Berke-
co. thirl raodipr