Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1870-02-26
Niger In the woodpile.

l
Va. i.egislslure. tina, the bill TO amend
the charter Of the Mar,iu'burg and Poto'
mac Railroad Company. was rejected by
aspli, Of tho members on the negro
vote:
| The bill to amend tue charter Of the
Msrlinsburg and Potomac Railroad Com
psny coming up was put upon it's passage
and received the following vote
YEAs-Messrs. Weloh. (Speaker.)
Agpsw. Baker. Ballard Of LOG an. Barlow.
Bsllzhocser. Bowyer. Brannon. Burgess,
Char er:, Collins, Crscraft. Davis. Da-
Wis. IN. Evans. Fsrnsworlh, Fisher. Elan
,pan, Flick. Gandes. GoG. GuthriG. Has.
sier. Howard. Jackson. Judy. Lsmon,
Lynch, Maxwell. Mccoy, Meadows
Miller, Nicely. PeirPon,, Pownall. Price.
RAIDER. Rexrosd. Ropp. Scott, Smith.
Srurgiss. Summers. Te,er. Thomas,
Wells. Wheat aud Wilkinson:
NAys-None.
The bill submits The question Of sub,
scrlp,ion BY the county to all The male
citizens over 81. not excepting any on &C.
count Of color or having been in tho rebel.
lion.
Before tho vote was announced The
"Nieger in The Woodoile wss discovered
and the Democratic members began 10
change their votes. Mr.. Flick said he
thought he also say q rebel in tho wood
pile. and he would change his vote. Mr..
Peirpont said he intended to do right and
should let his vote stand. Mr.. Farms
worth said hs wanted The niger and The
rebel both TO ro,s. and be should let his
ro,s stand. Mr.. Whes. said since the
Dsnoclas had all gone over 10 the mega
tive. he desiring to keep gu. Of bad CON.
psny, would let his vote stand Several
Republicans also changed their voles 10
negative. Mr.. Lamb who was not in
when the vote was frs, taken, came in
and voted no. The vote ~ announced
alter tho chsnges stood thus,
YsAsvMessrs. Wslch. Speaker, Ba-
ker, Ballard OF Logan. Barlow. Beltzhoo.
yer. Bowysr. Chambers. Evans, Farms.
worth. Fisher, lIas'ler. Judy, Lamon.
Lynch, Mccoy, Peirponi, RAIDER. Rex
road. Ropp. Smith, Thoma'. Wells and
Wheai-23
NAys-Mss.rs. Agnew, Brannon, Bur-
CESS, Collins. Cracrali, Davis. Davisson,
Flanagan, Flick. Gandee, Golf. Guthrie.
Howard, Jackson. Lamb. Maxwell.
Meadows. Miller. Nicely. Pownsll. Price,
Scott. Surgiss. Summers, To,er and Will
kinson-26.
So the bill was rejected.
Mr.. Davis ,aid, if lie PHYSIOLOGY Of
the bill wH:s changed, he would vote for
il. and rSred q reconsideration Of the vote
! rejecting it. Agreed to. lie moved to
amend by inserting white before male.
With this amendment he would vote for
it. Mr.. Peirpont SAID with that amend
meni he should vote against il. Mr..
Jackson said. il tho proclamation had
been issued announcing tho rstifcs,ion OF
The 18Th amendment. and authorizing ne
groes 10 vote, he would vote for it. II
they would smend the bill so as 10 submit
the question to the qualified vcies.'
whoever they might be whom the question
was taken, no would vote for it.
Mr.. Beltzhoover said the bill had been
worded JUS, as those interested in the
question wished it; and # members were
disposed 10 (sver This local rneasure they
could DO il bes, by voting for the bill II"
as i, was. He said The objec! was TO sub.
mi, j, 10 the taxpayers, aud number oil
the black people Of Berkeley were large
u4.payers. The bill had been prepared
by those who vere opposed TO the 18th
Amendment and to negro suffrage. but
yet favor giving the negro Tax payers the
righ, Of say ing whether their property
shall DO taxed Tor a particular purpose
when they are the pst,y affected by it.
He d,dn', understand ,ha, he eommi,,ed
himself to the negro suffrage by voting
for such bill.
Mr.. Jackson wanted to know how gen.
.lemen would &c, over The constitutional
provisions limiting The suffrage 10 whites
who ere no. rebels. II they would wait
few days until The l5sh amendment was
proclaimed the negroes would be voters.
At presen. they weie no, But even then
he did not see where they got authority
to let tho II bells vote at al under ibis bill.
He thought tho provisions Of The Consti-
tuition forbade.
Mr.. PsiPon, aid The provisions Of the
Constitution referred entirely 10 poll,ic'l
ms,ters-,o voting for officers.
Mr.. Jackson replied that il did nat say
%, and quoted 10 show ,ha, the Consli'u.
lion forba4e ceii.iu peIsops 10 role 81
'any election.
Mr.. Davis declared himself unsl,erably
and unequivocally opposed 10 aufrsge Tor
negroes under all circumstances, and he
gave notice Of the fact. Even if the 18Th
smendmen, should DO proclaimed a. hav'
ing been ratified spl made part snc par.
eel Of The Constitution Of the United
Stsie., lie would no, be wiling 10 sdnl.
,hs, The rights Of This Stale we're affected
in any way Whatever by the adoption Of
thai ,msndm.nL Whether the State
would be obliged TO rsspec, that amend
men, was question ihst would come up
hereafter. He would mol place tho State
in a position where she could no. say tho
smendmen, vas forced upon her by vio-
lence sesins. her consent.
Mr.. Jackson said he WAS willing 10
yield and scquiescs in any decision OF the
Gs,ernmep, which he could no. set aside.
When opposition was frui'les' ha ws'