Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-01-04

tives that neither Hcrime nor idiocy,
natural or acquired, debarrs a person
from holding Office in the INTEL
States"
The construction of our laws seems
to give truth to this remark. 1t seems
that they permit the people to eject
just such a person as they see fl to
elect.
In Republic, such as this there are
but few things which disqualify a man
for office. Aside from a limited num
Der of necessary conditions, the fit
the people who are to be represented.
Very often one district sends a Rep
resentative to the Legislative halls who
does not meet the approval of the ele;-
tors of some other district.
There can be no legitimate or legal
complaint concerning this however. be-
cause under our form of government,
each district has the privilege CT Sc
lecting whom they please so long as
they observe the constitutional re-
| quirements.
This privilege has been the cause of
much discussion at times concerning
the rights of elected members to lold
the offices to which they had Jeen
elected.
A great number of people were
shocked and some Mortified when the
doors of Congress were thrown open
to John Lynch and B. K. Bruce, OF
Mississippi. P. B. S. Pinchback, of
Louisiana, and Robert Smalls, of South
| Carolina-all negroes. These Anglo
Saxon ranters produced argument that
was dreadful to contemplate. The
Constitution was imperiled! The doors
were to be opened to social degreda
ton! The government of a superior
moral race was to receive a shock
from which would never recover!
We were to be disgraced before the
world, There was but one solution
the moral, intelligent white Congress
man should rule the ignorant black
ones out, they should not permit them
TO be seated.
But, notwithstanding the objections
urged the black Congressman were in
| stalled in Office
But a graver danger now confronts
us. The United States Congress is
threatened by a polygamist.
1t is not easy to comprehend why
we as a people are 50 inexpressably
| shocked over this. We who teach our
children fifty-two Sundays a year, that
| Solomon was the wistest of men,-Solo-
mon, who had 700 wives and 800 con-
cubines-whereas, this unfortunate
Congressman has but three OR four
wives only.
Now comes the task of unseatng Mr..
| Roberts. His opponents believe that
it can be done under the provision of
Clause |, Sec. V, Art. |, of the Consti-
titution, which reads: Each House
shall be the judge of the elections, re-
turns, and qualifications of it's own
members"
1t seems to be the general, though
erroneous opinion of great many,
that this clause gives Congress the use
of unlimited power-that it may pre-
scribe such qualifications as it may see
fit-that it could be swayed by fancy or
sentiment - that upon capricious
grounds it might disqualify whom it
choosed-it might even go the length
of a prominent Eastern club that ex-
PEELED a member because he had a
chronic and uncomfortable appetite for
onions.
Constitutional writer, nor Congress
itself, have ever claimed this power.
Judges of elections are all governed by
we'll defined and exact laws which they
cannot exceed. Congress, as Judge of
iuc tlStllOu anu qucllIIOtlOAS VI tta
members, limited by the constitution,
will enquire through the Committee on
Elections, as follows: Did Mr.. Rob-
erts receive a majority of the votes OF
the qualified voters in his district?
CLAUSE 1, Sec. 2, Art. L.
Has he attained the age of 25-been
seven years a citizen of the United
States, and an inhabitant of the State
in which he was chosen? (Clause z,
Sec. 2, Art. ID
Has he ever been impeached and con-
victed? (Clause Z, Sec. 3, Art. ID
Does he at the present time hold any
other Office under the United States?
(Clause 2, Sec s, Art. ID
These questions being satisfactorily
answered Mr.. Roberts will of right be
entitled to his seat The fact that he
is Mormon can have no effect and
cannot even be questioned, as Cause 3,
Art. VI, permits no religious est.