The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-08-05
m. ..r,,ck Amendment. -

mention of the constitutional amehu-
ment referred to, but pledged the party !
to "wipe out the, injustice and the DIS
grace incident to the Acknowledgement
in our midst of twenty-five thousand
of our own race, while negroes cxer.
else the elective franchise without hin
drance or condition" and therefore
demanded "a a. free ballot for white
men and the immediate enactment of
such measures as will secure it,
The FLICK Amendment ostensibly
proposed TO enfranchise that class OF
white menrin this State who arc at pres
ent excluded from the polls, but coupled
with this primary and actual striking
of the word white" from the Constltu-
ton, .a.zs...4s
The Radical State Convention de
clined to pledge its party TO either sup
port or oppose this amendment, but for
maily resolved that each individual
member of the Radical party was at
liberty, without infringing upon his par.
" allegiance, to speak and act for or
against the amendment as his own
judgment dictated or prejudice III
clined.
Owing to the failure of the officer
whose duty it was to see that the forms
of law were complied with, it is now i'm
possible to adopt the FLICK Amend
ment" in the manner prescribed by the
Constitution, and it must therefore be
considered out of the present canvass.
To make any such amendment valid,
proceedings must be had de moro. The
Legislature next winter must originate
another proposition, and nearly two
years more must elapse before the
amendment can legally become part OF
the Constitution OF the State. The
present measure is defunct.
But before finally dismissing the
FLICK amendment from consideration,
we have a few words to say concerning
it. While holding out to the Democ-
racy the promise Of the enfranchise-
ment of the rebels, the prime object Of
its Radical supporters was to induce the
Democratic party to formally commit
itself to the dogma of negro suffrage,
or to estop Democrats from hereafter
denying the legality of the negro vote.
OF course, we do not deny the fact Of
negro suffrage; but we do protest
against its approval by the Democratic
party. We know that, under the exist.
ing revolutionary acts of Congress, the
restriction contained in the word
white" as it stands in our State Con-
stitution is of no avail; but we protest
against that words being stricken ont
By Democratic votes. And while thus
protesting against the payment OF the
price which the Radicals demand for
the enfranchisement Of the rebels, We
have never believed that they intended
to fulfil their portion OF the compro-
mise. 1t is well known that when the
FLICK amendment was under dis
cussion in the Senate last win
ter, Radical Senators were induced
to vote for it by the private understand
ing that it was to serve its purpose in
the present campaign and then I've
killed next winter, or, by some such in
territorial informally as has already
occurred, he prevented final adoption
Fair minded and honest men everywhere
were deserving the Radical party; they
were tired of its prescriptions and knew
that it was running the prosperity of the
State; so, to make a show of libcrality
and hold out the hope that they would
at some future time restore a free ballot
TO white men, they concocted the FLICK
amendment hoping thereby to crafty
the let ups" while they intended its de-
feat for the satisfaction of the bitter
enders.
The record of the Democratic party
against the proscriptive laws which
disgrace the statute books of our State
is clear and decided. These laws were
passed by Radicals, for party purposes,
against the determined opposition and
protest of Democrats. 1t has always
been in the power of the Radicals to
repeal them, but they have steadily re-
fused so to do. If they had been hon
est in favoring the Acknowledgement Of
rebels last winter, they could easily
have accomplished that end without
waiting to 20 through the long process
of amending the Constitution if they
had simply changed the registration
law so as to admit to the polls all who
have not been legally cOneictcd Of trea
son or of the crimes enumerated in
the Constitution az barriers of
Of the right to vote. If they had
been honest in even intending to per.
nit all men who were otherwise quail
fled and who could take the test
oath" to vote, they would have consent
cd either to have the registrars elected
by the people, or torequire the Governor
to appoint one Democrat upon each
Doo.l Is D,,t Al Del;