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122 A. I have resided in Somerset county fifty-nine years, and have been a voter therein since I was twenty-one years old. I resided in District, No. 5, (Princess Anne District,) in 1865. 2d: A. I did apply to the persons sitting in the Court House, and acting as Officers of Registration. They were L. P. Hayman, 3. W. Hayman and S. C. Gibbons. I applied on one of the days specified in the Registry Law, for receiving such applica- tions in the month, of September, 1865. I took the oath re- quired by the Registry Law, and answered all their ques- tions 'touching my right, to registration and voting."; A few questions I declined, to answer; one was, how I voted at the Congressional election between Crisfield and Henry. I replied that I voted by ballot, as was my constitutional right, and no law required me to state for whom I voted. Another question was, if I had offered or given anything to induce a voter to vote at any election. I replied that the only objec- tion. I had to answering that question was, that they had no right to ask it, that the question they -,were authorized to ask me, "it I had ever been convicted in a coporate of; law of the offence oi bribery?" This was strenuously denied by Mr. Levin P. Hayman, until I requested him to listen to the clause in the Constitution on that subject, which I read, when he very promptly admitted his error. Their last question was_, whether I had sympathized with the South, that is, as they said, with the cause of the South? I replied, that neither the Constitution or law of this State, or of any civ- ilized government authorized an inquiry into tie citizen's sympathies upon any subject, and I must therefore decline to answer the question in that folm. Mr. Levin P. Hayman insisted very confidently that the word "sympathy" was in the Registry Law or Constitution; I requesited him to point it out to me. He made some show of looking for it. I told him he cuuld not find it, that I had studied the Constitution and Registry Law very carefully, and knew the word was not there, nor the idea conveyed by it. I then read to them the words of the 4th section of the 1st article of the Constitu- tion—"or has by any open deed or word declare I his adhe- sion to the cause of the enemies of the United Spates, or his desire for the triumph of said enemies over the arms of the United States"—and stated my readiness to answer any question found in the language of the Constitution. Mr. Hayrman said that that was all they meant, by the question. I replied if, then, I am to understand you to inquire if I have by any open deed or word declared my adhesion to the cause of the enemies of the United States, or my desire for |
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Proceedings and Acts of the General Assembly, 1866
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