The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-10-09
From the New York World
West Virginia and Arkansas.

In 1868 the total vote Of West Vir-
cinia was 1897, Grant carrying the
State by msjority of 1888. In 1870,
when the reform movement which be.
gan in Missouri was sweeping over the
country, West Virginia cast tot 81 vote
Of 55,6U7, the opposition 10 Radicallsm
carrying the State by a majority OF
2l23. By the United States census
taken in this latter year the population
OF the State was 1904, and at the
ordinary ratio of voters to population
the total vote should have been about
$4,000 instead OF $4,000 az it was. The
occasion of this discrepancy was the
INFAMOUS system Of Acknowledgement
INCORPORATED in the West Virginia Con-
stitution 1T the time the State was or
ganized to assist the Radical rarty
by introducing a reinforcement very
much needed in 1862 in the United
States Senate. On the anti-proscrip-
ZIONIST victory of 1870 the new Legisla-
ture proceeded to do away with this
disfrauchisement, and as result OF this
step we find the total vote OF the State
at the election on the 22d OF August last
81 ,4O2, an increase Of some $4,000 over
that polled in 1870. 1t has often been
asserted, and as often denied bv Radi-
Gals, that from 10000 to $4,000 men
were DISTINGUISHED in West Virginia,
but in view of these figures it can no
longer be controverted that the State
was held so long for the Radical party
simply and solely by a sweeping and
most Ubiquitous system of partisan dis
reimbursement. Happily that it is all
over now, and West Virginia is safe
now an s1cula SGculorum for the cause
of honesty and good government; but
it is as well to put on record how Grant
received the electoral vote of this
State in 1868, and especially is this
in point when we remember that
Arkansas to-day is where West Vir-
ginia was a year or 80 ago. No one
doubts that Arkansas is an anti.Grant
State who knows that its population
by the census OF 1870 was 362,
whites and 100, 1863 negroes, or about
10000 Democratic aud Conservative
voters and 10000 Republican. That
with this overwhelming preponderance
of the white votes the State is as fully
negroized as South Carolina will not
seem wonderful when the system Of
prescription and disfranchisement
which is in force is considered. To
have held any Office before the war,
even that Of road inspector or justice of
the peace, to have furnished supplies to
the Contederacy, 10 have voted against
the reconstruction measures, are sniff
cient to disfranchise any person; and if
none of these or numberless other like
objections lie. the registrars are allowed
on the broad, general ground Of their
own knowledge or judgment to refuse
registration. Further still, while the
weight of the Fourteenth Amendment
has been lifted by act Of Congress
from all but some specified classes,
and while even in its worst
estate that measure only debarred from
office, it is still 10 full force in Arkansas
so tar as TO disqualify from voting all
who are under its original terms. Ow-
ing to these causes the total Arkansas
vote, which should be some 10000, was
at the last election but 53,679. These
are the lowest figures, for it is stated
o, excellent authority that 81 900 per-
sons were disqualified in 1870, but we
will take it that the total is but 26 900,
All these are, of course, disfranchised
simply and solely because they oppose
Grant. Could they approach the ballot
box they would swell the Democratic
vote to 50. 600 and bury out of sight the
Republican vote of $4,000 which nov
controls the State. Arkansas Blk
electoral votes would 60 against Grant,
and two Democratic Senators and, four
Congressman come mp to Washington
to aid in a purer fnspagementof public
affairs. To forbid this We have %, 600
men robbed of their votes.