The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-12
From the Parkersburg Gazette.l
Address TO the Democratic ana .on
sentative Voters OF Wood anu
Pleasant Counties.

The undersis ned voters and disfran-
chised residents of Wood county, IN view
of the importance Of the proposed
change in the Constitution Of the State,
to be voted upon on Thursday, the 9th
day of this month, and commonly called
the Flick amendment, take the liberty
of expressing their views upon this I'M
portant question, and ask the concur
renee OF the rightthinking, just and
generous voters Of Wood and Peasants
counties therein and of further asking
them so to vote as to give effect to the
views herein, expressed 2 =.
Y Il is we'll known 40 YOU thatby an,
amendment to the original Constitution
| of this State, adopted in 1866, all per.
sons who had sympathized with or aided
in the recent rebellion, were forever dis
franchised and deprived of any voice IN
the direction of public affairs. They
were to be taxed, to be liable to work
the roads, be punished for crimes and
misdemeanors, and all offenses, they
were to bear all the burthens OF gov
eminent, but were to be deprived OF
some ofits most precious benefits. The
reason or apology for the adoption OF an
amendment which thus destroyed what
American citizens have learned TO es-
TEEN as a vested right, inalienable and
indestructible Except by c0nric:i0n OF
crime), was found in that political ne
cessity," which deemed ali measures
iustifable, which had for its end the
rerpetuation of the party then in power,
until they could so shape legislation as
to secure what was termed the fruits
of the war" H. - =
Six years have elapsed since the
memorable events and closing scenes Of
the war had marked the history of our
times. Six years OF peace have begun
to ameliorate and modify the asperities
and bitterness Of past conflict, and six
years have produced wonderful changes
in the Interpretation OF our organic and
fundamental law. 1t is worth our
while to note one of these germane to our
present subject BY the fifteenth
amendment to the United States Con-
stitution all political distinctions on &C
count of race, color and previous condi-
ton of servitude have been, declared
| abolished, and every negro stands upon
the same political equality with the
most favored white man, notwithstand-
ing any State constitution or law TO the
contrary. No action Of the people Of
this State can modify or abridge those
rights or alter this important fact. An
attempt to do so, however peaceable,
would, under the present construction
of Constitutional powers, be deemed an
act of revolution, and would be pre-
vented BY the military power Of the
United States government. Thus, it is
seen the negro is voter whether we
will it or not. The Flick amendment,
as we will still call it, has for its pur-
pose change in that section of our
Constitution which prescribes the quail
ification for suffrage. The sole practi-
cal effect Of its adoption is to enfran-
chise those white men now dlsfran-
chised by reason of their sympathy
or aid in the war, now so long passed.
Not another State in the Union now has
such DISTINGUISHING clauses in its Con-
stituton or on its statute books. The
gentle hand Of time and the better i'm
pulses and sounder judgment Of our
people have wiped them away. il
there any peculiar reason why our,
Mountain State should be an exception
to this kindly, generous and just senti-
ment? Is it not worth the effort Of going
to the polls to restore fifteen thousand
of your own kindred and race to polit-
ical equality with yourselves? Will
you be deferred by prejudice, mere
sentiment, from aiding your disfran
chised neighbor and friend? Will you,
because this great work Of pacification
has not been presented in the exact
form you wish, prevent, by your action,
the accomplishment of the great pur-
pose OF the amendment which will
obliterate all political distinction be-
tween our citizens? Do you not want
the DISTINGUISHED enfranchised9 How
else can you so certainly accomplish it
except by the adoption Of this amend
ment? fyou should prefer the call
ing of State Convention for this pur-
pose, You would do a grave injustice
to the disfranchised to do so, before
permitting him voice in the deter
minaton OF the organic law under which
YOU and he will have to live You
leave him in a worse condition than
those who have been his political op-
ponents have conceded he ought to
occupy. 1t is from the supposed ardent
friends of the disfranchised comes the
seyerest opposition to this great measure
Of pacitication which brings him back
his withheld rights. This measure
is eminently satisfactory to the
great majority Of the disfran-
chsed. 1t meets the approval Of
all those who desire to see our people
united and prosperous. 1t closes up all
determinations, and let us hope its
adoption will be the signal for burial
of such bitter political animosities as
have produced partisan legislation and
famed the dying embers Of personal
hates. We therefore urge upon you to
attend the polls and vote for the incor.
poration Of this amendment in our or
ganic law, and thereby restore our dis
franchised fellow citizens to the exer-
else Of their heretofore withheld rights,
believing as we do that no good to them
or to ourselves can be accomplished by
resorting to any other method than the
one proposed, and any other plan will
certainly for a long time withhold
what canbe at once accomplished by
the adoption Of this amendment.
THoS. G. SMITH,
w. P. THOMPSON,
W. S. SANDS,
THos MURPHY,
W. II. STAHLNAN.