The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-10-02
The Pennsylvania Volunteer De-
prived Of his Vote by the
.... AboIitionists. 9V

The hypocritical Abolitionists, at the pres.
ent time, are affecting great sympathy with
the soldiers, who, under the Constitution Of
Pennsylvania, are not permitted to vote
while absent from their State. That they
should attempt to impose upon the people
with professions of friendship for those in
the service of their country is utterly amaz-
ing, when the history of this important ques-
ton is well known, and is so entirely adj
verse TO their spurious claims to the title OF
the ''soldiers' friends" We propose to re-
fresh the memories of our oblivious Jacobin
friends by faithfully recalling the past, and
plainly showing the persistent manner in
which the Abolitionists labor to deprive the
soldiers of the exercise of the elective fran
chisc.
In 1861, when the returns of the elections
held by the Pennsylvania volunteers were
opened, they were found to contain forged
return from regiment alleged to be com
manded by certain Col. VIM. Shimpfeller,
ghich gave the Abolition candidates i'll this
city, a majority of over eight hundred votes.
This return, although palpable forgery,
would, with others equally fraudulent, have
been certified to by the return judges, "a ma
jority Of whom were abolitionists,) and would
have been made by them the basis of cer-
tiicates in favor of their candidates, had
not an injunction been obtained from the Su-
preme Court, then in session at Pittsburg.
Fooled in this attempt to overcome the gen
uine vote of the volunteers, the Abolition
lists then resorted to another scheme equally
base and fraudulent. They ascertained
that large number of the officers in COM
mand of companies which had voted, had
not received their PAPER commission from
Gov. Curtin, and they endeavorcd to use
this as a pretext for Withholding their re-
turns of these companies from the return
judges--the result would have been that the
Democ ratio majority in the very few compa-
MES in which the commission had been sent
to their officers, would not have been sufi-
Gent to overcome the Abolition army and
home vote. The prompt and fearless action
of Judge Ludlow, then holding the Court
of Common Pleas, prevented the execution
VI 'lieil Heihlous PrVJect, anu iuc L Ilo'hoh-
otary was compelled to lay before the return
judges the. whole legal army vote, as the law
plainly directed him to do. But the disgrace
tul efforts of the Abolitionists to have the
soldiers vote rejected did not cease here, and
the majority OF the board of return Judges
refused to count the vores of the companies
in which the officers had not received their
PAPER commissions. This refusal led to
proceedings in the Court of Common Pleas,
by which, under peremptory mandamus,
the return Judges were compelled to perform
their duty and count all the votes. In spite
OF this action of the Court, and in violation
of the plain letter of the statute, the Aboli-
tion majority of the return judges, after u
hitting with the Democratic minority in CIV
ing certificates of election based upon the
whole legal vote cast, met in secret session
after the adjournment of the regular board,
and made out certificates in favor of the de-
teated Abolition candidates. These latter
fraudulent certificates were, of course, re-
jected by the Court, but not without the
presiding Judge, Allison, indulging in some