Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-04
analifcatIohs Of EIeeters.


required Of any voter than such as Is
made necessary under the Constitution Of :
he State, except that the voter shallreside
in the ward or district where be may Of
fer to vote And the same act repeal
ed ell laws or parts Of laws coatrs7eu-
ing the provisions Of that act
An Act approved jane 7, 1852, dehn-
ed the qualifications of voters, under the I
Constitution, in the following oath, to be I
administered to voters when challenged: /
You do swear (or affirm that you I
are a citizen Of the United States; that /
you are over the age Of twenty-one years, /
according 10 the best Of your fnforsaation
and belief; that you have resided in this /
state during the six months Immediately I
preceding this election that Jsu are at this /
time a resident of this township or pre-
ciuct, las the case may be;) that you
are generally known by the name IN
which you now ask TO vote and that
you have not voted at any other poll AZ
this election" aud in case Of persons Of
foreign birth, that part of the oath re-
lative to citizenship shall he dispensed
h,snd the following substituted That
you have resided in the United States
one year, and have declared your inten-
ton TO become q citizen of the United
States in conformity with the laws there
Of"
Thus, it will be seen, that all proYis-
ions requiring certain number Of daya
residence in the ward or precinct, which
used to be required under old laws and
charters, are done away with and it is
not essential how short or long time
voter has lived in the ward or precinct,
so he now resides In il, aad has resided
ia the State six months Immediately pre-
ceding the election, and fulfilled the
other requirements Of the Constitutions
and laws made in pursuance thereof as
set forth in the above oath.
The word reside is thus defined
By Webster:
To dwell permanently or for length
Of time 70 have settled abode for a
/ time. J"
Any person who is willing to take the
above oath, and vote under it, has that
right and no one eau say nay, not even
the Inspector aud Judges Of the election
But, If tina voter swear falsely, and
tina. fac, can be established in court, be
subjects himself to the pains and penal
ties of perjury. The whole thing rests
with the voters conscience.
The Consultation, and laws regulating
elections, are the work Of Convention
aud Legislature controlled by the Dem
oeratie party. Whatever may be the
opinions Of the above-quoted provisions,
in the minds Of various persons,
they constitute the Law governing eIee-
tons, and have for twelve years.
The Democracy fer many years had
the advantage Of the Constitutional
provision and lsWs under it, which
they enacted for party Purposes Many
time have the Wings and Repabh-
cans been beaten by these provisions,
which give such extraordinary privileges
10 the floating population, and the Demo
cratic party maintained it, ascendency
through them until 1860 Nov, how.
ever, when they think that the adyan-
tage ia on the other side, they sqaiFm
and howl and make terrible posher
When the oEfseoaring and scum Of erea-
ton voted under these provisions. and
kept the Wings and other opponents Of
the Democracy in an apparently hope
less minority, il was all right with the
dominant party. Its leaders chuekled
over their smarsness, and felt very com,
plaeent aud comfortable So long n
the floating population could be used
to snbssrve the interests Of Slavery
Propagandism and sham Democracy
there was nothing wrong about these
provisions. Now, however, when our
soldiers--the men who have given up
everything for their country, and who
left their old homes to seek new ones
amongst strangers, in order that the
Republic might live - these Demo
cratic leaders, who used to enjoy the
benefits of this oath, aud do yet with
that peculiar portion Of the floating
population whom they own, like so many
cattle-these leaders, we say, are much
exercised over the soldiers vote.
| The Spanish proyerb says, Curses,
like chickens, come home to roost" SO
do dishonest and uncomfortable party
tricks The best advice we can give
these leaders, is grin and bear IT, keep
still and it won't hurt you 90 much; re-
member that soldiers are human beings,
and have not lost their rights of eili-
zenship and their interests at home. BIZ
going into the army to fght the rebels
in the field; and that the less that is
said against the soldiers and their right
to 6ght treason wherever they end il.
North or South, the better for The inter
ssis Of your party.
We would not encourage one person
to vote who has not clear right to do
so; bat in regard to the soldiers, we in
sist that, so far from forfsiting a single
/ right of citizenship, the utmost latitude
under the Constitution ought to be
allowed them in its exercise; and, fur
ther, that the Constitution ought to be
amended, as soon as possible, so as to
allow them to vote in the field for all
elections that they desire to vote at
! If any class Of men should control
this Government II IS those who are
| fighting to preserve it, and the man who
says otherwise IS al migrate and traitor.
A Parry OFrfCTH-Mr AnfhonT