Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1862-09-20

ammunition. This would answer for
our present emergencies until the next
regular session Of the Legislature. A
/ Military Board Of ComNnission might,
however, be created wish instructions
to prepare complete militia system,
to be laid before the next Legislature
For present organization, the recent en-
rollment made by the Sheriffs would
probably be sufficient, and it might be
adopted as basis. .- ..,-f ~ -..r
Another subject to which desire to
call your attention at the present time
is the enactment of a law which shai
give the soldiers from this State now in
the army the right to vote at the next
general election. After our quota shall
have been filled we shall have about
$4,000 men in the army Of the Union.
Among these, it is safe to presume
there are al least 1000 voters, who
certainly have as deep, if not deeper
interest in the welfare of the State and
Union, and in the policy that shall guide
their councils in their respective halls,
! The views of these brave and patriotic
men should be heard through the bal
lot-box, and should have proper weight
in shaping the destiny Of our imperlled
country. Who votes must bear arms,
was the Just decision and rule of the
Secretary of War; who bears arms
should not be disfranchised, but be per-
mitted to vote, should be the policy of
the country. There is nothing, / be-
Iieve, in our Constitution, which would
prohibit the enactment of such a law.
On the contrary, Section of Article
8, provides that ''No person shall be
deemed to have lost his residence in
this State by reason of his absence On
business of the United States or Of this
State" This at least indicates that
the spirit Of our Constitution is against
disfranchisement of our soldiers; jus
tice seems to demand that they should
be rewarded in a different manner for
their patriotism than by a loss of one
Of the most important rights of citizen
ship, especially in the present crisis,
and it rests therefore with you to say
whether our election laws shall be so
amended as to permit the taking OF the
soldiers vote. 1t is believed that a
law could without much difficulty be
framed for this purpose, so that the SOL
der may vote for the most important
public officers at least; for State Off
GERS and for their respective Represen-
tatives in Congress, and the State Leg
islature.
The three field officers, or in their
absence the three ranking officers of
each regiment, and the three highest
commissioned officers, Or those acting
in their places, of each battery of artil
lery or each company or squadron Of
infantry or cavalry on detached SER
vice, might be made the inspectors of
the election, with power to appoint the
proper person clerk of the election, so
that the vote may be taken on the day
fixed by the Constitution.
consider such law a matter of
simple Justice, as we'll as Of great i'm
portance, and trust, therefore, that it
will meet with your appreciation.
Another subject that should receive
your attention is the condition of our
Volunteer Aid Fund.
The payments made from that fund from jan
uary lst to the present time are, S2l4, $50 2e
Averaging nearly $4,000 per
month.
The payments viii average at least
two months in arrear 1nclud-
ing arrearages to meet the de-
mands upon the Volunteer Aid
Fund, say to the middle of next
February, will require money
enough for eight months pay
ments, which at $4,000 per
month, will, amount to s24o,ooo 90
To meet this there is now i'll the
Fund subject to draft for this
purpose about 10000 W