Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-12-07
A REGISTRATION LAW.

M~OOREFIELD, w. VA, December B
To the Editor ofEs Register.
SIR:-A few DAYS since I + noticed In your
paper q communication from Mannirgton
advisirg the enactmentc CT a registration law
in this State, SIS the best means of prevent
ing, in the fut1re, the frauds and rascal
tiles practiced in the late election in this
State. Also, an editorial calling attention
to said communication ard askiDg for the
views of the people of the State in relation
thereto.
fully concur with your correspondent
that this is an important matter, and IN
the light of the facts regarding the recent
election, calls l)udly for this or some o'hsr
effective remedy sgainst these frauds and
illegalit;es. A good registration law
would teOd & eltly TO the prevention OF
such things in the future, bat is not the
present constitution in the way of the
enactment of any law of this kind that
woyld be effective? The 18th Section Of
! Article 4 of our present constitution says:
NO citizen shall ever be denied or refused
the right or privilege of voting at an elsc-
tion because his name is nos or hos not
beea registered or listed IS a qualified
~vo.err' The italics are miue. l call
attention to this constitutional pro7lSion,
TOR the purpose of invoking q discussion Of
the question az to whether an effective
registration law can be enacted IN tSls
State that would be Constitutional. The
thing we want IT, prevent is illegal vot ng.
| What good would 8 registration law be In
this State if you cannot prevent q party
ilOyo voting whose name IS net registered!
Tais is an important consideration in the
| enactment of such 8 law. As for myself,
| am inclined very Strongly 10 tie opinion
that such q law cal be framed thst would
be constitutional and effective also;
which would at least be better than
our present system. But as 1t Is
an important question it is hes
in my Judgment to have discussed ard In
vessigated So thoroughly as possible before
attempting any change, and this IS myOo'
iect in writing this comm uicatlon lac
provision of our present Constitution to
which l have referred, was adopted be-
| Gauss OF the gross outrages that we're per
pet rated By the Republicans upon the peo-
ule of this State under the registration law
that existed when they we're In power IN
this State. Tae population of the State
was small at the adoption Ct our present.
Constitution, aud nearly every vo'ee IN
the various election districts OF the State
was known to the other yoters. Bat our
population has increased greatly since then,
so that in the mining, manufacturing and
lumber regions Of the State, ard IN the
- = =. , A,l,on1k rnutfor for
thOse who are disposed to do so to practice
Illegal voting and gross frauds in our cleo
tions. To ssy the least. there is a very
strong suspicion in the minds OF q large
number Of the good people Of tho Sss'e
that this very thing was done at our late
election. There ought not to be the least
suspicion Of any such thing in the minds OF
any portion of the people, If IL
can possibly be prevented. All
good citizens and honest men want
fair and honest elections. Laws for the
prevention and punishment OF illegal
| voting and frauds 10 elections c!nEo:, II
my opinion, bs too strong or serere. These
/ ~corruptio. in Il elect OnS are becoming
| so uOastrous and Infamous that thu coed
people Of the country mnst rise en- mGsSe
and demand the enactment of laws that
| will prevent them and punish those who
are guilty If them, or in time ths eut're
body of the people will become 80 corrupS
and debased that there will be no such
thing as an honsst election; and when that
time comes it will not be long bsfore the
liberties Of the people will slip away
frCm them. This is the first time in the
history of this State, under the present
constitution, that there has bsen any we'll
grounded suspicion wen Of illegal AID
corrupt yotirg, ut least to any extent, and
the miserable nasty thing should be
"nipDs3 in the bud" No such thipg
should ever be permitted to occur again iH
this S ate if it be possible to prevent 1t
As q people we would be far better of
without railroads, coal mines, coke ovens
and manufacturing if elections are to bt
controlled by corrupt means. The
Democrats should with one rOict
demand that this thing cease
right here and now. In this section OfthG
State we are q unit on This question. The
voice of the p Ople, so far as we kGow, wa;
honestly recorded here in oar last election,
There was On effort made to Gebauch on
people with no5ey, but so far as we nov
know, it wa1 Successful only TO avery llmi'
tea extent. We do not want our voice in
our elections drowned By the corrupt use
Of money in that section Of the State, ana
zee DO not mean to quietly submit TO any thing
Of the kind. We demand the enactment q
such laws as will put astop to such things
There is another thing l want to cell at
~tention TO, and that is that on State cleo
tons should not be held in the zane veal
with our Presidential elections. In Other
words, our State sflaiIs should Got b;
mixed up with National affairs. In III;
last contest thtre was scarcely s
word said about our State affairs
Matters of interest to the people of Thu
State were entirely oyershadowed by tn
uo!i.nal contest. If the national contest
had been cut of the way, Gene; al Gof
would not have had halt the Chsnee Il
display bis miserable demagoguery as h
had in the last election. Neither h,
nor the National Committee would Eav'
put half 'tbe fat'' in the contest they did
| trust the people of the State will zee thu
importarcs to them Of this suggestion, au(
will 90 to work st once to remedy thiI
evil.
May be the File Blade.