The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-04-21
Tho Amendment-Next Thurday's
EIPcIiOn.

Tho Amendment-NexE IhuFu"'
Election.
Next Thursday, the eth inst, Just a
week hence, the people Of this State will
be called on to declare at the polls wheth'
or they will ratlfy or reject the pending
Amendment to the State Constitution
popularIy known as tho FLICK Amend
mcpt. This measure has now been be-
fore the people Of the State Tor considera'
ton moro than two years. We presume
there are few, If any, who do not under
stand what it proposes; yet as there may
be some who through neglect or forget
fulpcss are not aware of its precise effect
VIC will cndcavor to explain in few
words Just what the amendment is. Sec
ton / Of Article III of the State Constitu'
ton is now rs follows:
/. The ichite male citizens OF the State
shall be entitled to vote ut oil elcctlons
held within the election districts inwhich
they respectively reside, but no person
who is q minor, or Of unsound mind, or
panpcr, or who is under CONVICTION! o!
treason, felony or bribery in an election
or who has not been resident Of the
State for one wear, and OF tho county III
which he offers to vote for thirty, days,
shall be permitted to vote while such DIS
ability continues. No person lchO since the
IJ,J;y If .LUs 1851. has CiC0n, or shall
ARE fJ,iriary aid or assistance to tho REBEL
lon ayeli1% Tic lasted iS!ateS, ssaa be a
cA;-;a gfM8 S!ats, or be a!L0l7cd to cole at
any thcti0a therein, an!eSS he has goIHn.
tserfd int lie military or nper! sereicc Of
Mg UGWtd States, and has been, or shat be,
A9aouby discharged hcrgr0m."
The Amendment proposes to strike
tia. section out and insert in place OF
it the following;
81. The male citizens of the State shall
be entitled 10 vote Mt all elections held
within the election districts in which they
respectively reside; but no person who is
minor, or Ofunsound mind, or o paupcr,
or WHO is under conviction Of treason,
felony or bribery in M election, or who
Las not been resident OF the State Tor
one year, and OF the county in which he
offers to vote for thirty days, next preced'
ing such offer, shall he permitted to vote
while such disability continues" -
Tic effect oil this, it will be perceived
is to eliminate from the section as 1t now
stands in the constitution, those portions
which VIC have placed in italics. Tho
word "rhite" is already virtually stricken
out, 1t having been rendered null and vol:
by the XVIII Amendment 10 the Constitu
ton of the United States. The only quGs
ton In regard to that is whether our pco
pie will recognize the national authority
as "lhc supreme law Of the land" NnC
thereby put themselves in accord with the
onlightcnedprogrGss ofthc tines or wheth
erthcy wlladherC to ancient prejudice and
defy the Constitution the United States
by retaining discrimination in our State
Constitution which cannot be enforced
and which cannot harm the black mar
but which will harm the white people
md The whole State There arc some
persons so wanting in sense Of politi
cal justice, and so unconscious Of anything
higher and broader than their own con
traCtcd prejudice and arrogant bigotry
that they willvotc against this amendment
because it cXpungcS the senselcss discrlm
inAtion against those who are not "white,'
although that discrimination long since
ceased TO have any existence except or
paper. We hope for the credit Of the
State and Of human nature, that the num-
Der of such persons mAy prove to be small
In regard to the elimination Of the pro
vision denying political citizenship to per
sons engaged in rebellion, that who'll
question has been trAvcrscd over ant
over again in our columns, for two O
three years, We are satisfied, as VIC havC
long been, that it isl judiciOus and neccs
sary measure; and the public opinion o
the State has come to be about unite(
in support Of that view. Men Of all par
ties arc pretty well agreed upon that; ant
nothing appears more certain than that TIT
Amendment will be ratified by q goot
majority.
As the question is one Of abstract prin
ciplc only, and there is little to excite III
interest in the election, VIC. may expect tC
see light vote cast all over the State. Il
would DO well Il this could be other
wise. This measure is emlnently ono OF
peace. 1t puts all men in the State on ar
equality before the law, and gives every
ono the equal voice in the government to
which the theory Of our institutions en-
titles him, and which is necessary to in'
sure justice, harmony and good govern
ment Every man who is willing tc
concCdc to others the rights DO demands
for himself, will accept this measure as Q
complete and enduring settlement Of al
questions involving political rights in thi:
State; and il is in this view Of it that w
would like to sec the Amendment con
frncd by an emphatic vote.
WE learn that Mr., DIss DEBAR, late
Commissioner Of Immigration, has rcliev
cd the irritation of the Charleston C0urel
by notifying Gov. JACOB that he shoult
cesscsto exercise his official authority n