Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1863-11-06

they will contest the validity OF their election.
The following sa copy Of the notices served:
To CaARtss @. GRKKSK-Sir: You are here
by notified that shall contest the validity Of
your election 10 the Office Of County Treasurer,
| in aud for the County of Sandusky, Ohio upon
the following grounds, to wit:
lst The act Of the Legislature Of the State Of
Ohio, entitled "An act to enable qualified voters
Of this State in the military service ofthe State,
or Of the United States 10 exercise the right OF
suffrage" passed April 18th, 1868, under and by
virtue Of which you have received over l3OI
I votes and to which you owe your election to
said office, is unconstitutional and void and the
votes so received cannot legally be counted:
Cd Said act does and cannot confer no power
upon a soldier in the Military service as afore-
said to cast a ballot outside Of The township or
district whore he resides, To be counted in said
township or election district.
! Sd. Said act cannot confer any power upon
soldier in the service as aforesaid TO cast ballot
outside Of the State Of Ohio, to be received or
counted in any township or election district
within said State.
4th. Said act of the Legislature is null and
void
5th. That you did not receive majority Of
the legal votes cast in Sandusky county, o. for
said Office
9th. You did moi receive majority of legal
votes cast for said Office.
7th. Contestant has received majority Of le-
gal votes cast for said office, and legally elected
thereto.
was at the last election, and still am an cleo
tor of said county. NJ. L. SNYDER.
Nov. Cd, 1863.
The above was signed by Mr.. snyder because
Martin Wright the contestant, was absent. We
understand the other notices were signed by the
dcfeated candidates themselves. Thus have the
Oopperheads ofSandusky county arrayed them
selves against this just and most righteous act
of the Legislature, and seek to disfranchise the
brave men who have forsaken the comforts and
joys of home to risk their lives in defence OF the
free institutions and country bequeathed to us
all by our illustrious and patriotic ancestors
What makes this act the more Infamous, is the
fact that the Copperhead party, before the elec-
ton, claimed to be the authors of the Soldiers
voting law, and claimed their votes on that
ground. We have before us pamphlet enti-
tied an "Address to The Soldiers Of Ohio, BY the
Democratic State Central Committee" from which
we copy the following opening extracts:
"SoLDIERs OF OHIo:-We are approaching an
| election of unusual interest and importance On
the second Tuesday of October next the people
of our State must, by their votes, determine the
character of our State government for the ensu-
| ing two years. Though absent from your homes.
as soldiers in the service of your country, you
are still, by the laws of your State, citizens
| BY virtue of an act passed on the 18th of April
last, you have the right to add your votes to
| those of your fellow -citizens at home and thus
aid in forming the character of your State gov.
eminent That act, entitled "Ah act to enable
qualified voters of his Slate, in the military SER
Uice of this STATE, or Of tho United States to ere.-
else the right Of Suffrage, authorizes those of you
who, if at home, would be qualified voters in
your respective townships and wards, TO exercise
the right of suffrage, on the days appointed for
holding County, State, Congressional or Presi-
dental elections While thus absent, in the
service of your country, this right is, by the
provisions of that act secured to you as fully
aud absolutely as if you were on those days
present at your usual places of holding election
| The right thus guaranteed by law of your
State, while an inestimable privilege to YOU de-
wolves also upon you great and solemn respon-
sibilty. To exercise the right of franchise
the right of franchise wisely, justly, and inde-
pendently, is, for most men, delicate and diff
cult task, under ordinary circumstances. To
the soldier in the service of bis ceutry, far from
home, the difficulty is greatly increased. He ia
in great measure deprived of the counsels of
his former friends. He is without the adyan-
tage of that free and full interchange of senti
ment, TO which be has been accustomed. He
those at home form SO important part of the
means of coming to a correct conclusion in re-
gard to the respective merits of the principles
and the persons between whom choice must be
made.
But your case is peculiar. You entered the
| military service to aid in subduing rebellion,
| not to find an employment for life, whereby Won
would separate yourselves from the civil associ-
ations and interests of your former homes.-
Many of you left families all of you relatives,
also circles of friends And the first wish of
those from whom you parted was, that your SER
vices might aid in bringing this unhappy and
most disastrous war to a lust, honorable and
speedy termination; their second wish that YOU
might soon return to enjoy with them the bless
| lngs OF the peace thus secured. And in order
that you might continue to feel as deep an in
terest as ever in the civil affairs and prospects
of your State, they determined to confer upon
you through the legislative authority, the right
| to cooperate with them in the selection of civil
officers, both for State and general governments
This was a Democratic movement. On the
18th OF February, 1862 a bill, ITO authorize vol-
ueers from The State, ia actual service at The time
Of general election TO vote Uherever Hey MAY BE- /"
was introduced into the House of Representa-
tives by Mr.. Dressed, Democratic member. and
a similar bill by Mr.. Sayler on the 4th of March,
which was referred to a Special Committee
Messrs. Dressed, Converse and Sayler-all lead.
ing Democratic members On the 9th of April
ensuing, the Committee reprted in favor of the
bill. But its passage was not at that time ia
yored by the Republican side of the House.
Hence it was laid on the table and not taken M
again during that session. But in view of the
general popularity of the measure Mr. Gunck-
ell Republican, introduced bill TO the same ef-
feet into the Senate, which passed that body,
but on coming to the House, that also met
similar fate, and therefore failed to pass.
The Democratic State Convention, held in
Columbus, July 4th, 1862, condemned the reiec-
ton OF the bill, in the following strong terms.
Resolved That the refusal Of the General Assembly 10
permit gallant soldiers In tho field the right to Vote
not to have beon committed. 50
In the fall of 1862 the Democrats carried the
election, which was for members of Congress
and certain State officers, but not for the Gener.
al Assembly. In that the Republicans contin-
ued to have majority, but the current of pop
ular sentiment was setting strongly in the d.
rection OF Democratic measures. The rejection
OF the bill giving the soldiers the right 10 vote
was not well received by the people. This the
| republican members saw, and at once became
the protessed friends of the measure, and the
bill being still sustained by the Democratic
| members, passed near the close of the last sess-
ION by nearly unanimous vote
| This soldiers OF OHIO, is brief history of the
motives and means which led TO the enactment
OF the law under which you now have the right
to aid IN selecting the men to fill the executive
and legislative Offices of our State government
To the Democratic party in whose behalf we
now address you, are you mainly indebted for