New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-03-26
SOLDIERS vOTENG-HOwe

The people of this State, by the largest ma
jority ever given by them for any proposition
whatever, have decided that their brethren
serving the country in her armies shall vote at
the next and all following State Elections pre-
cisely as though they had remained at home.
We presume fve-sixths of all the votes cast
were given in the affirmative, and that the ma
iority, on light poll, can hardly be short OF
Two Hundred thousand. Had the Township
and Charter Elections been held on the same
day, the majority must have exceeded Quarter
Of Million.
Now, the Legislature il TO determine in what
manner the right shall be exercised; and the
subject is set down for consideration in the As
sembly next Tuesday. Two bills have already
been presented, hut one only has yet reachedus.
That before us does not embody the admirable
leading feature of the bll'of last Winter. That
Bill, it will;be remembered, directed that the
vote should be cast in the election district where
the voter resides, whereto-his right to vote
being established as at present-the voter shall
transmit his ballot sealed to his next friend, and
that friend shall open and cast it in his name
and behalf. We believe this plan infinitely
preferable to that proposed by the Bill we have
received, which provides for a canvass in camp.
The Bill Of last Winter enabled each soldier
| to prepare and transmit his vote when a,
leisure; whereas TIE Army r-~s---------
in line Of battle last Fall on the day Of the Ohio
Election, expecting an attack in force at any
moment, whereby thousands lost their votes.
If jeff. Davis should unhappily, be stil infest-
ing the country next November be sure be viii,
in his friends behalf, keep our soldiers occupied
on the day appointed for the Presidential
Election.
Voting in camp gives officers undue influence,
provOkes olectiOneering, contentious, and fCuds,
which voting by proxy precludes. Each soldier,
By the plan We prefer incloses his ballot in a
sealed envelope, transmits that envelope, duly
authenticated, to his most trusted friend, and
instruc.s that friend to open the envelope in the
presence of the Inspectors Of Election, take out
the ballots, and cast them in the absent voters
behalf. We should like TO see the wives Of
soldiers in each Election District walk in pro-
ceSsion to the poll and cast the votes trans
mittcd to them by their respective husbands
If any one does not know that they might do so
amid universal Difference and respect, unas-
sailed by even coarse word, his thought
grossly ISLANDERS the legal voters of our State.
If this is disallowed-and we see not why it
should be-then let each soldier seal and trans
nit his ballot to the Inspectors Of Election in
his district, and let it be opened by them in
public, on the day of election, and the vote
polled like Others, after the right of the voter
has been established by proof. Why should
this be Objectionable
We wish the vote Of every elector polled, but
no others. And how Can it be established in
Virginia or Tennessee that John Jones Of the
l75th n. Y. Volunteer Infantry is an elector-in
the first district say-of SOmers, Westchester
Co., or Carmel, Putnam Co.? At his home, his
right may be established, or his false pretense
exploded, by dozen witnesses; in camp it
cannot be. Do let US have law under which
the legal majority Of county cannot be
swamped by votes cast q thousand miles away
by persons never heard Of in that county, and
at polls over which her inspectors and magis-
trateS have no sort Of control.