Year: 1866

From the similarity in the condition
of affairs in West Virginia and in Mary
land, our people are naturally very
deeply interested in the contest now go
ing on in Baltimore. Governor SWAMI
is desirous of removing the Police
Commissioners of Baltimore for crimes
like those committed by the Boards OF
Registration in nearly every county in
this State. The police commissioners con-
tend that they have n right to exclude
voters from registration nOtwlthstand-
inc they have taken the test oath and
complied with all the forms of the regis
trv law. Governor SWAMI contends
that the taking of the oath is final
and conclusive rs to the applicants
right to vote, and that no man who
takes the oath can he excluded from
voting unless, by due process of law,
he may he convicted of perjury before
a court of competent jurisdiction. In
this State also, as is we'll known, the
Boards of Registration frequently strike
from the list the names of men who
have taken the prescribed oath, some-
times without even notice or the form
of a trial. Here, as well as in Mary
land, the Radical Registration officers
claim the power to sit in Judgment up
on the character of any applicant for
registration and convict him of perjury,
in defiance of the constitution and the
forms of law.


For this offense, the Governor of
Maryland proposes to remove the Police
Commissioners of Baltimore, upon the
charge that they are guilty of "official
misconduct" His power to remove them
during the recess of the Legislature, is
expressly given by the laws of the
State. But the Commissioners, instiga-
ted by leading radicals in Pennsylvania
and elsewhere, refuse to obey the sum-
mons of the Governor, or submit to their
removal from Office. The Governor is
bound to enforce the law and maintain
the authority of his Office. The Police
Commissioners have organized a body of
armed men to resist the process of the
law, and are promised aid from the rad
icals In other States. The Governor has
the militia of Maryland at his disposal,
and will probably receive the assistance
of the regular soldiers of the Federal
government, should their aid be needed.
in enforcing the constitution and the
laws. This is the position of the GUAR
rel and the question at issue, as we I'M
derstand it, to-day.


A more iniquitous act than the Mary.
land registration law cannot be found
in any State in the Union, if we except
the registration act passed by the Leg
islature of West Virginia last winter
Its effect is to place in the hands of les:
than one-fourth of the citizens of the
State the government of the three.
fourths. Under it the radical disunion.
lists claim the authority TO disfranchiSe
whomsoever they choose, whomsoever
fails to come fully up to their standard
OF loyalty" and we all know what the
word loyalty" means when spoken by
radical politician. The exclusion
from the polls in this State of hundreds
OF good citizens whose only disloyalty
consisted in the fact that they were un-
Wiling to vote for ARTHUR l. FOREMAN
10 be Governor of West Virginia, is per-
iee'ly IN accordance with the practice
" The Police Commissioners in Balti-


nOfe. If We had a Governor here who


su Tor the rights of the people and


~, "' Te'lrous of according to all the peo-
.o 'He Protection of the law in the en-
''ment OF their civil and political