Year: 1867

Long RuN, DoDDRIDGE COUNTY, !


WEST VIRGINIA, December %, 1867.
Editor Of the Register.


have seen two letters in recent mum.
bers of your paper referring to subject
that l, as Supervisor of Grant township
am connected with. 1t is true, sir, I
in connection with one Of the In
spectors, Mr.. Ford, did object to Mr..
Cline's vote, believing the Constitution
made it obligatory upon US to do SO,
knowing that Mr.. Cline had been in
the Rebel army and had not since vol
unteered into the military or naval ser
vice Of the United States. The grand
jury which sat in West Union on the
Goth inst, found an indictment against
me for this offence, obeyinS the su-
preme law of the land. But haze no
reflections to cast upon the honorable
body, knowing the case, went before
them in all the beauties of tiower-pot
and we'll perfumed. They had but one
side to judge from. 1t might be sup
posed their decision would be in favor
OF the eNluenCe.


Ihave known persons indicted for
perjury, but must say this is the first
time ever knew one indicted because
he would not commit perjury. The
amendment which was added to the
first section and third article of tho con-
stitution of this State, reads thus: "No
person who since the first day of June,
1861 has given OF shall give voluntary
aid or assistance to the rebellion against
the United States shall be citizen of
this State, or be allowed to vote at any
election held therein"


Oath of office ~ do solmnly swear
that will support the Constitution of
the United States and the Constitution
of this State; and in the election about
to be held I win faithfully and impair
TALLY discharge my duties to the the
best of my skill aud Judgment"


Ii is true Mr.. Cline acknowledges he
has no right to vote under the Constitu-
ton, but claims that the registration
law gives him that right, as his name
is OH the book. But sir, if can read
that law rightly every article touching
his case condemns this board for having
his name placed on their registration
book. 1t is true the 22d article of the
registration law says, the board shall
have the sole jurisdiction totry and de-
termine the ght of any person to vote
under the Constitution of this State, but
sir, if this board goes outside of
the Constitution which they are
sworn TO support, and the law un-
der which they act, aud register man
or men whom they know to have been
volunteers in the rebel army and send
their books out broad cast over the
country. mast all officers conducting
elections be bound TO obey their acts
when they believe at the same time
that they would be violating their
trust tn that article which they are
sworn To support. But it is said We
have no right To judge this. With the
same propriety We shall say that two
and two makes five when it only makes
four, or that an oath to the Constitution
MAJ be set aside by the Board of Regis
tratiou. The way Cline got on the
Registrars Book is this. He represented
himself as a loyal man and that he
would never vote conservative
vote. He succeeded upon these pro-
positions aud through the influence
of Governor Boreman, as his opinion
was that if man had been in the
rebel army, came back aud was now tax
ing part with the union party he would
have right TO be registered. BY this,
and u few preachers with Others that be-
long TO the legal league, the board was
made to believe that Cline was true
Radical, so down went his name with
out further questions, l suppose, for
Cline had been resident of this State
only about nine months. V. LANGFrTT.