The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1862-11-07
The Army Vote.

Foiled in their purpose to smother the voice
of the people by acts of tyranny such as never
were heard of even under the most despotic gov
ernments, the Abotionists have resorted to their
old and favorite means of acquiring and hold
ing power, fraud at the ballot-box. They had
more than suspected that the voters of Penn
sylvania would turn them out from the positions
they have dishonored, and, hence, had quietly
prepared, in advance, scheme by which they
fondly hoped to thwart the irresistible will of
the masses. Whilst the Democrats and other
Constitution-loving and law-abiding citizens
were quietly attending to the canvass at home,
these reckless political gamblers were busiy en-
gagged in sending tickets, election-papers and in
structions to their hangers-on, their suffers, pay
masters and camp followers, in the army, in or
der secretly to obtain their vote among the SOL
diers. And, now, few scattering ballots hav-
ingbeen cast by the military, in accordance with
their programme, these votes are paraded in
their newspapers as a test in regard to the po-
litical composition of the army, and where the
legal vote has been close for Congress and the
State Legislature, it is threatened that the votes
polled at this unauthorized, unconstitutional and
fraudulent military election, are to be counted
for the purpose Of reversing the decision of the
people. AS to the capital which the forlorn and
miserable Abolition press is trying to make of
this &c parte military vote, we say let them make
the most of it. Every intelligent man will at
once detect the flimsiness of the article. We
need but ask these gentlemen, was there any no.
tice given by any person, authorized or unau-
thorized, one week prior to the election, that an
army vote was to be taken! Did Gov Curtin
issue a proclamation, as he did last year, to the
soldiers, notifying them concerning the holding
Of an election !? Were there any printed tickets
or election papers, or instructions how to vote,
sent to the army by the representatives of any
other party than the Abolitionists2 All these
questions must be answered in the negative
Hence it is plain that the Democrats could not
and did not vote True, few of them ,cyote
thtsr o,cn tickets and voted but the great mass
OF the Democratic soldiers, knowing that they
were constitutionally debarred, for the time be-
ing, from exercising the elective franchise, pre-
ierred to abide by the laws and to respect the
decision of the Supreme Court of their State,
and therefore refraincd from participating in the
farce enacted by the Aboiitionists. And, again,
we might ask. how many votes did the Aboli
tionists poll in the armya Not more than .6rs
thousand altogether, and we doubt if the nun
Der iss great as even that! Now, Pennsylva
MIA hos about one hundred and ffiy thousand sol
diers in the field, and yet the Aboitionists, af
ter all their efforts, can extract but some fiv,
thousand votes out Of this immense army! Pray
70 what party belong the remainder of the vo
ters in this grand body Of solders7 All, there
the rub! They are Democrats, and what a ma
lority the Democratic State Ticket would hav
bad, It these men had votedu Instead of fou
thousand, It would have had at least iifty thor
sandi Concerning the attempt on the part of tn
Aboliiionists to force count of this m;litar
vote In close legislative and Congressional di
friets, we rsiterate what we said on formero
csion, fbat their efforts In this direction w;
hsrsibssd 10 tho last extremity. We again n,
Anfecosd our warning 10 these sooundrels N,