Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-10-25
THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENTS. ..

Editor REGISTER:
have seen very little through your,
or other papers. as TO the Constitutional
Please advise rs through |
the paper q to what You know about its |
adoption or rejection.
Yours truly,
West UniOn, October %, 1880.
There is no doubt about the adoption
Of both the amendments, by considera-
BILE maJorities, although the returns OF
the vote upon them are yet incomplete.
When we use the word adoption"
We mean simply to say that the people
OF the State are responsible for deposit
ing more ballots upon which the words
"For Ratification were printed than
were cast with the words "For Relec-
tion."
We don't mean to say that they have
adopted" them in the sense OF APPROX
ing, commenting, and intelli2ently en-
dorsiny their spirit and purpose. We
believe rather, that il was nero me
chanical endorsement Of the printer
who set up the type and printed the
words which saved the voter any trouble
of determining what should and should
not be put upon his ticket.
The law prescribed that ii he was in
favor OF the amendments, he should
pu, upon his ticket the words "For Rat
iication," and if he was opposed to
them he should put upon his ticket the
words "For Rejection.
But the voter did not know ANYTHING
about the law. 1t was not published
in connection with the Constitution,
and not one voter in a thousand ever
read or heard anything about it.
Some of the tickets-in fact, all OF the
Republican tickets contained only the
words "For Ratification" II the voter
wanted to vote against ratification, he
did not know what to write, and there
was no room on the ticke; to write any
thing.
Moreover, not one in a hundred
knew that he was voting for constitu-
tiona, amendment, and he did not care.
The excitement and rivalry which per-
sonal and political contests brought to
the polls so absorbed the attention o!
voters that all Else was forgotten, and
there has not been enough interest in
the result upon the amendments TO in
duce parties to send in the returns.
We have regarded these amendments
of vital importance to the people OF this
State. The REGISTER endeavored 10 i'm
press this fact upon the minds OF the
people. We were anxious that, wheth-
er adopted or rejected, the result should
be fair expression OF the will OF the
people.
We do not believe that the result does
show any intelligent expression OF the
will OF the people. We believe that it is
now more than a mere mechanical en-
dorsement. This fact was abundantly
demonstrated in Wood county, whore
onlv the words "For Ratification" we're
printed on all tickets, both Democratic
ana Republican, anu in which county
nearly all the votes were "for ratiiica'
ton"
The future may prove that the people
are satisfied with what they have done.
II may prove that they are not. We
have only now to make the best
OF it We shall be sorry ii
the people OF the State have
put themselves in the attitude OF en-
dorsiny a measure Of so much impor-
! - :. .~u a, 40 not what they Wish.
We will be sorry to hear another vail
20 up over our judicial system, similar
to that over the county courts.
We do not profess to know what the
people want in this connection. We
only hope they have it. But in any
event we hope never to see the farce
enacted OF submitting such q PROPOSE
ton to the people, in the midst OF a
wild political excitement. Aud We hope
further that the people will have the
patience to wait until the complications
the almost inextricable difficulties
which the ratification OF these amend
ments bring upon us, shall one By one
be solved by the SLOW and tortuous
course OF years OF distraction ard de-
rangement.