New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-04-20
Yo,s of the Soldiers by Siatesl

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upy these remaining in tbs State vc.cd At ,s Election
Partial Returns Of the recent Wisconsin Judicial
Election show Republican vote Of fully thrse ia
one, giving Judge Dixon, so far as heard, 563l una
iofity on the Soldiers vote.
There you have the reason for Democratic
opposition to Judge Lows bill-the whole OF
lie. Had those figures been rice rersd, that
bill would have had every Democratic vote in
both branches Of our Legislature. Whoever scans
these figures and says he does Mt knop that,
| il our Volunteers had voted last Fall, Gen.
Wadsworth would have been chosen our Gov
ernor, Roscoe Conkling, Edward Dodd and
Charles l.. Beale returned to Congress, aud a
very different result produced generally, con-
fes,es to a very profound and obstinate iguo-
raace--like what the theOlogians call Judicial
blindness.
Why have Mt the Copperheads initiated con.
stitutional amendments permitting the soldiers
to vote by proxy There they hare nndisputsd
poperi They have had control Of tho Legisla-
ture OF Rhode Island ever since the War
broke OUT but they have MT said Vote once
to the soldiers. They carried Illinois and
Indiana last year, and had full swing in their
late Legislatures; but they did nothing toward
allowing the soldiers to vote. ditto as to
Ncw.Jersey. In Illinois, they have had a
Constitutional Convention, elected aud held
since the War; but they did not give the
soldiers any chance. Now, they interpOse con.
stitutional amendment, because that will de-
prve the soldiers of their votes merit Fall any
how, and in 1864 also, unless the next Legisla-
ture ,hal resdOpt the amendment, and then q
State Election shall be held on purpose to
ratify Il. In other wordA they ,taye of the
dreaded vote to the lstest possible moment.
But this will deceive very few.
If the soldiers vera NOT Legal Voters, we
should have nothing TO say. But they arc legal
yoters--indsp SUITABLY so-snd an expre. prcYi-
sion Of our Constitution says that they shall
not lose their residence in the State by virtue
Of their Absence respectively in the Military or
Naval service Of their country. 1t does not say
that they shall be personally present at the poll
or be practically DISTINGUISHED. Here, then, is
q large class Of legal voters, away from home
because their country calls them away. aud
who cannot return 70 vote without peril TO
that eogntp's integrity-nay: to her very ex-
ptenee. But suppose they could: why should
they make Journeys Of five hundred to three
thousand miles on purpose to deposit two or
three bits Of paper in box : Why noe rather
prepare tho paper and transmit il TO tue trust
ed friend who Will duly deposit it for them
The vital matter ia TO receive all the votes
offered by legal voters and keep out all others.
This Juge Lows bill secures; the Constitution
defues the qualifications of voters; the Legis-
lature is to prescribe proper proofs" for dis
tinguisbing those who possess those qual6ca-
tons from others; and this Judge Lows bill
does with regard to soldiers. We entreat
every Assemblyman who would SEQ patriotism
encouraged and justice made law 10 let nothing
keep him from his seat when the fate of this
bin is to be decided, on Wednesday of this week.