The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-07-23

they fraudulently anu uhcous''1So"
ally. and in violation Of every pledge
they had ever given, forced negro suf-
frase upon the people, the FRepubii-
can party again and again, after its
intentions were seen, expressed its
willingness to submit the question of
enfranchisement to the people, but in
violation of this expressed willingness,
and in most instances in direct oppo-
sition to the wishes of the people ex-
pressed at the ballot-box, we find the
Fifteenth Amendment declared to be
ratified by the legislatures of the States,
in defiance of the people and their
rights and privileges. The leaders of
the party in power have taken it upon
themselves to say who shall and who
shall not vote, for the sole purpose Of
perpetuating Radical rule. The right
of saying who shall be the citizens Of
State is taken from the people of that
State and given into the hands of the
Congress an assumption of power the
fathers of the Republic were careful to
guard against, and which they would
have resisted as manfully as they re-
sisted the tyranny Of the British Gov
eminent
The Republicans Of this State, though
somewhat behind the majority of their
party az regards negro suffrage, are
still in favor Of and their political &C
ton tends directly towards negro equal
ity-social as well as political. | know
they argue that man is not obliged to
associate with mean white man if he
does not choose, and is not therefore
Obliged to associate on terms OF social
| equality with negro. But wien was
it ever proposed to make the social
status Of white men the subject of Con
gressional legislation as it is proposed
to do for the negro. Reversing the
Radical reading of the bred Scott deci-
sion, they argue that white man has no
rights negro is bound to respect and
they propose to break down all social
and natural barriers, and have a full,
free and perfect social equality between
the races. In proof of this, MIR. Jacob
read Summers Equality Bill as pre-
scented to Congress, abolishing all dis,
tinction between the races in regard to
social privileges, and said: This inia-
nous bill, though not law, derives its
importance from the fact that Mr.
Sumner is recognized as leader in the
Radical party; source to whom they
look for inspiration and to whose lad
vanced' doctrines the laymen of.that
party sooner or later give their ale
glance and belief lie generally agi-
tates until his doctrines are accepted by
his party, and his utterances may
usually be taken as the ultimate result
of keeping the Radical party in power
If that party. is not beaten this fall,
within two years Summers bill will be
the law of the land. know that West
Virginia Republicans will deny this, |
know they will say that's only one Of
Sumner crochets. Did they not say
the same thing in regard to negro sui
frage? Did they not deny that nothing
could be further from their intentions
than to allow negroes TO vote? Are
YOU fellow citizens prepared to endorse
the propositions of this bill and destroy
forever all the barriers Of race, and re-
duce at one fell blow prosperous coun-
try to the condition of South Amer
can Republic? The Radicals say they
won't do it You kno,c the Conserva-
tive Democratic party will not, and
where YOUR assurances are strongest,
with that party should your ballots he
cast
Let us now turn to the history Of the
Registration laws Of this State; laws
which take from the people their dear
est right-that Of suffrage-and give
it into the hands Of one man, who has
power to remove any and all Of the
registrars or Boards of Registration who
refuse to do his bidding, or who by
simply failing TO appoint Board of
Registration, under any specious pre-
text, can deprive all the people Of a
community Of their right to vote.
West Virginia became a State on the
twentieth day OF June, 1863, and if I'M
happily, the necessities Of war would
IllEIllSIl III tNCuSC III SltAIl 81 law sS oltl
present Registration law, there can he
no such preteXt advanced during the
time OF peace for its continuance. But
while the roar of battle deafened men
ears to the demands Of justice, when
angry passions warped their judgments;
when the knowledge of wrongs inflicted
and received, blunted all sense OF right,
no such proscriptive measures were
thought Of 1t was reserved for the
time when reason was supposed to have
resumed her sway, when passion was
somewhat cooled, when the bitter hate
born of civil war had time to give way
to Il calmcr state Of feeling, when the
shock and clash Of arms were all but
gone. for this State to pass law which
is disgrace to civilization and which
has driven from her borders some of
her best citizens. The provisions of
the Constitution originally adopted did
not exclude men from the ballot box
except after conviction for crime Trea-
son is a crime, but as in other criminal
charges, man is presumed to he limo
cent of it until proved guilty. But III
1865, the disabling acts were passed,
and only passed for the purpose of
continuing the Radical party in power
and its candidates in office. Then
came change in the acknowledged and
long settled principles of law. A man
was presumed to be guilty Of the crime
of treason until he proved himself limo
cent. Have, you ever considered how
hard work that is? There is not
man in this State from its present Exec
utive down to the humblest citizen,
who can prove that he did not give vol
untary aid to the rebellion. Why? SIM
ply because he cannot prove negative.
The challenge at the polls provided for
by former laws not being effective in
driving a sufficient number from the