The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-06-17
An Inquiry.
MANNINGTON, June IL, 1870.

IUkit NNettlHy 4HNNWt"S' ....|
The Democrats are making great cupi-
,ol out Of the late act Of Congress, saying
i cnfranchises all the Write rebels in the
Ihe State Now, Sirs, please answer the
following questions: 80.
lst. Is Registrar Of u township OF q
county bound under that law TO register
those persons heretofore DISTINGUISHED?
Or, I'd. Has he the right to refuse all
persons that he has heretofore refused 10
register? These are facts that should be
settled at once by the best judges OF law,
Tint our registrars may act adviScdIy.
Gov. Stanton's opinion is asked.
Respectfully 30 j. i. NAY
The act referred to only carries into
practical detail and enfOrces what is done
b the 18th Amendment. That Amend
mcnt simply provides that suffrage shall
not he abridged or denied because ofrace,
color or previous condition OF servitude-
in simple terms, TINT man shall not be
denied vote because hc is negro, This
isall there is of it. Our Constitution did
deny suffrage to certain men because they
we're negroes, by restricting it to white
men. That denial is now annulled by the
18th Amendment, Nobody. can now bC
deprived vote in this State because he isa
negro. lie may he because he is IL
pauper, or u minor, or of msOund mind
or under conviction Of treason, felony or
bribery in IN election, or because he gave
voluntary aid to the rebellion after June
|, 1861; because these areoS Glusions laid
down in the State Constitution, which are
not in the rcmotcst degree affected
by the 18th Amendment or by the
act enforcing it. For the act is
carefully guarded so that it shall not
assume to do more than is authorized by
the Amendment, and great care is taken
in securing the right to register and vote
Ioall citizens, Otherwise qualified, without
distinction orColor, fiat only those 10th
crwise qualified shall come in under the
uct This is Il distinct and specific rccog-
nition of the qualifications prescribed by
tue State laws, which must in every in
stance be confOrmcd TO- The intent of
both amendment and act, as We have said
at the outset, is only to prevent the en-
lorcemcnt of the one forbidden qualilica-
ton of color. Everything else remains
precisely us 1t was under the State law.
The answer to the questions asked Is,
therefore, this: The registrars duty is
specifically prescribed in section l 1oF Arti7
Gle 3 of the State Constitution. That Sec
ton tells him whom to refuse and whom
to register. He has only to bear in mind
that the word white" is in law stricken
out, and he is not tn refuse any one regis
rration solely because he is not white
Otherwise the section as printed is the
rule of his duty. In other words, his duty
has in no wise been changed by the 10Th
Amendment, or by the net 10 enforce7it
except that negroes otherwise, qualified
under the section, who have heretofore
hren rejected are now tobe registered .
This is our understanding Of the law,
which seems too plain for cavil but, then,
AS we don't set up tor a" constitutional
lawyer" though once pronounced such
by high authority. VIC should he gl"d to
have an exposition Of the matter BY GOV.
STANTON, or some other good judge OF
law, as suggested by our correspondent.