The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-09-30
The enforcement Act Passed by
C0ngress-No. 8.
Editor of Wheeling REGISTER:

The enforcement Act Passed BY
l. C0ngress-No. 8.
Editor Of Wheeling Register:
! A few words more in answer to the
claim made that true construction OF
said act necessarily limits its effect tc
the Fifteenth Amendment. Let us see
what that Amendment is. 1t reads
thus:
SECTION |. The right of a citizen OF
the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United
States, or by any State, on account of
race. color, or previous condition of SER
yitude."
SEC, 2. THE Congress shall have
power to enforce this Act by 0ppropri
ate legislation"
Now l submit, any legislative body
intending to enforce this Amendment
only, would have enacted merely the
language Of the first section Of the
Amendment, and prescribed suitable
penalties, securing its faithful obser-
vance. Three or four short sections
would have said all deemed necessary
by any sane mind. But instead, the
Enforcement Act contains tpenty-tlree
sections and covers nearly one page Of
good sized newspaper. To ascribe such
purpose as is claimed, would stultify
Congress and grossly pervert the Ian
guage used.
The title whose object is to indicate
the substance and purpose Of the Act,
and is always considered an important
key for opening its meaning, reads
thus: can Act to enforce the right of
citizens of the United States to vote in
the States Of this Union, and for other
purposes"
Its first section then opens: That all
citizens of the United States who are
OF shall be otherwise qualified by law to
vote" &c. What law had qualified
male African citizens to vote? The
most obvious and natural meaning OF
this, in the connection, is, submit
Having the other qualifications, other
than and beside citizenship, which is one
indispensable requisite. A far more ma
tural and reasonable Interpretation than
that they contend for, viz: Otherwise
than distinction of race, color or previ- !
GUS condition Of servitude." What
known substantive qualification for
voting does such distinction represent?
1t is mere mental abstraction, and not |
the substantive, personal, quality the
word otherwise" calls for or has rela-
ton TO. Such mere airy abstraction
cannot be that part wanting indicated
by the word Otherwise to complete
a full qualification to vote. And if
this Interpretation of the effect the word
otherwise has, should be sustained,
then all the adult colored citizens would |
be excluded, for they are not as gen
eral thing, otherwise qualified aside
from being citizens; and only those re.
naming would have to vote without
distinction OF race, color or previous
condition of servtude, according to the
Enforcement Act. This would be sad |,
indeed, after so much labor and fuss. |
The dominant party would better, it
seems to me, forego what they expected |
to gain at the coming election by manip- |
ulating the registering officers through |
their lone man power" and give to all citi-
zens white and black, justly qualified I'M
der our State Constitution, or designed
to be so by the Fifteenth Amendment
a fair and equal chance to vote. This /
understand is all the opposition ask.
But if they decline-if they insist on
practicing their iniquity as heretofore,
then say, and know all honest men !
will agree with me, make them pay the |
penalties the Enforcement Act provides.
The nineteenth, twentieth and twenty |
first sections show that Congress assum-
ed to exercise unqualified control over
State elections at which Representatives
to Congress should be elected (and such |
will be our coming election), and make
it a crime in any person, including Gov
ernor and other State officers, TO hinder |
by any means, including advice or
counsel, those lawfully qualified by
law, from voting, or assisting those to
vote, who are not qualified and atfixing
as penalty imprisonment or fine, or
both. Distinction of race, color or
previous condition Of servitude, is not
or referred to in these sections
Congress claims it as a National right,
and its authority, the whole Constitu-
ton; and even, our State officials. in
Guiding their lone man" who holds the
ballot box and sword is not exempt, nor
are our present members Of Congress
who must certainly kno,0 what Congress
meant by the Enforcement Act, ex-
empt. They may be caught i'll the
snare they helped to set. Where is
Senator Foreman, and his famous cir
cular, so full of gratuitous counsel and
advice? t-H-a q. I.
Eattening Hogs.