The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-06-18
THE DISFRANCHISED.
CONGRESSIONAL AID
From the West Virginia Courier!

From the West Virginia Courier.
1t happens somewhat remarkably
that the second and third sections of
the bill to enforce the Fifteenth Amend
ment, provide directly and explicitly for
securing the right Of suffrage to all
qualified voters, whether white or black
The second is aimed at registrars. the
third at election officers Both were
designed to compel the registration and
counting Of black votes in Maryland
and Tennessee. But hy singular
chance. a. if the hand of Providence
were overruling for good even Congress
ional iniquitv, the white man OF West
Virginia is protected by the very enact
ment that was gotten up for the sole
benefit ot the negro Direct State leg
islation to make registrars responsible
has long been asked and denied III West
Virginia. 1t Is given in this Congress
ional bill As We are forced to obey all
of its provisions, is our right and duty
to have enforced those which impose
penalties on the Illegal di<franchi-e-
mcnt of white men.
By the provisions OF the act, all citi-
zens OF the United States. who are quail
fled to vote shall he allowed to vote.
without distinction Of race (this covers
the white man) color or previous con
diton of servitude, (now the man and
brother comes in.) This is followed
by other sections which bear hard on
our Township Registrars, County
Boards, and Inspectors Of Election. the
point and substance Of which is, that if
any OF these officers refuse williully to
permit u qualified voter to register, or
vote or fail to give him the opportunity
to register, or vote, he shall forfeit the
sum ofSjO0 to the party aggricved, to lac
recovered by an action in the case. lfa
qualified voter he rejected 10y the regis
trar he may Notwithstanding offer to
vote and the officer conducting the
Election is bound to receive his vote,
under the penalty of $500 The regis
trar and officer conducting the Election
are also liable to Indictment and sub
icct to heavy fine and imprisonment for
breach Of duty. The act gives exclusive
jurisdiction to the United States Courts,
in indictments, and concurrent iurisdic-
ton with the States Courts. in civil ac-
tioms
Thus it will he seen that Congress, i'll
its intense longing after the welfare of
the negro, has inadvcrtulIy made some
provision for the poor DISTINGUISHED
whites. Heretofore through the control
of the Board of registration and under
the manipulation Of their officers OF
Election the Radicals have had II
smooth time in comparison with the
stormy days ahead. They have dis
franchiscd thousands Of qualified voters,
who were cntircly V without redress BY
the laws of the State registration oiii-
GERS were in Il great degree lrrcsponsl.
bic, for they were not liable in any
civil action for their conduct and praC-
tically free form criminal liability. The
decision ot the Board ot Registration
was final and conclusive. Now Con
grcSs throws open the Courts of the
United States, to the white man, a. well
a. to him of African descent, to test the
action of these officers. We commend
this law to the attention Of registrars
The penalties attached to the arbitrary
exercise OF power 10y them l. severe,
but if they are needed for negro pre-.
lection. the white man also may avail
himself of the redress they afford The
case Of the agrievcd voter can hc
tried, not by partisan Courts, and
packed iurics, but 10y the United States
tribunals. We anticipate a lively time
when rascale of the joe. Caldwell
stripe begin to have justice mcctcd 10
them.