Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-10-02
Registrars Should Take an Oath.
Norfolk Virginian-P Pilot.

Norfolk Virginian-Piot.
l. A more or less heated discussion hat
4 arisen as to whether or not the Constitu
tional Convention intendedto absolyo regis
trars under the new Constitution from the
necessity of taking an oath. Judge Berry
man Green, we observe, gives it as hi;
opinion that the Convention purposely re,
Trained from imposing upon registrars the
obligation of an oath, while the concensus
of opinion is decidedly to the effect that
registrars are not required to take an oath.
If the Convention failed by oversight to
require registrars to take an oath an oath
faithfully to comply with the requirements
of the suffrage article, the oversight was
most unfortunate. If it deliberately re-
Trained from imposing an obligation un-
iformly required of all persons who per-
form an official function in public capac-
ity, then that august body was guilty of
issuing an invitation and a license to COM
NIT gross frauds upon the citizen body and
to trample under foot that code ofdecency
that may never be ignored withoutIperil to
the State.
We are aware, Of course, of the con-
siderations that might have appealed to
Convention in the premises. We are
cognizant of the fact that an unsworn
registrar might be more effective instru-
ment in the disfranchisement of the negro
than one under oath to observe the letter
and spirit of the law. We are not blind
to the insistent demand of public senti-
ment for reform of the suffrage require.
ments. But the fact remains, when all is
said, that go sovereign body as a Con.
stitutional Convention may not seem to
squint at fraud, or even laxity in the
performance of duty on the part of any
public official, without impairing hat re-
spect for the law that is the foundation of
an orderly society and without compromis-
ing the dignity of the State in the eyes of
men who will not blink the facts.
The thing leaves q bad taste in the
mouth. The suffrage article was drastic
enough, in all conscience, 10 permit of the
dsfranchisement of the negro without
scoring the conscience of sworn registrar
Tie suffrage is sufficiently hedged about
by the requirements of the article in ques-
ton to render unnecessary anything more
than conscientious duplication of its
provisions to the applicant for registration.
I'VE protest that it is undemocratic,
contrary to precedent and subversive of
good public policy to give to any group of
men the power to say who shall constitute
the body of sufragans without binding
them by the usual moral and legal obliga-
lion TO discharge their duty conscientiousIy |
Apart from these considerations, the
construction that the courts and congress
will put upon the matter seems to us ex-
,eedingly doubtful. The threat has been
openly made that representatives in con-
yress chosen by the new suffrage body will
be refused their seats because of this
allure to require registrars to take an oath
o perform their duties fairly and faithfully.
We do not pretend to know how much or
low little probability there is of congress
aking such action. If the Republicans
hould carry congress by narrow margin
hey might provide themselves with com.
ortable majority by such means or they
night not. In any event no such OPP
,ortunity should have been given them.
Even though the new Constitution does
ot make the taking of an oath obligatory,
re believe that registrars should take an
ath nevertheless. 1t can do harm and
ill remove the chance Of unpleasant COM /
locations later. q