The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1864-03-31

INiThCt lTOiu q SPCSSu NVH'Ss~" y
Hon. J. Z. Grinnrli in the House of Re
presentatives or the 5tb day Of March
1864.
"a true sympathy with the people,
moved BY common gratitude to the
brave defenders Of their country, would
have been prompt in vindica'ion OF their
rights by wa,ding to the citizen soldier
the privilege Of the elective franchise
Our volunteer army could have no in'
,ercsts alien to the general welfare.
They were amorg the truest OF our no.
bility, the pride Of our Israel, from the
high and honorable walks Of life onr
equals in rights as citizens, in intel.
ligence and character as mer. till be
came a great party to stand upon tech.
nicalities when the sacrifice and valor
Of our scared and wa, worn veterans
appealed to our States for ballots to
deposit in attestation Of love for that
home they were defending with prlva'
ion, treasure, and blood.
How did tho Democratic party meet
thi. appeal, and what has beer its re-
cord on this question when there was .
possibility Of keeping ballots from our
soldiers since the rebellion began? The
answers are uneqnivoca', furnishing the
most conclusive evidence that the party
leaders, who, in season and out of sea-
aon, have Wanted their championship
Of the injured and the rights ofthc peo.
pie, were fearful Of the soldiers verdict;
and by their acts proved that they had
apostatixcd from the early Democratic
faith. Their claim, like the clear flash
of the light, comes home to the mind
Of every legislator with many reasons
for permitting our soldiers to use the
representative ballot for one that could
be framed for its exercise by tho cooler
blooded stay at home citizen; and II
lieu Of arguments against their rights
we have the jeers Of the press, partisan
votes in State Legislatures, the tricks
Of caucuses and most significant acts
which I shall. as a chroniclcr of the
time, combine to prove the recreancy OF
Democracy. Its base ingratitude.
s'sharper than serpcnt'S tooth, to ou'
highminded and sensitive volunteers.
was expressed in preparation for the
action of State Legislatures by the emf
ncnt literary oracle Of the party in this
language:
1.-THE .ommon soldiers have gone to
the war for pay, the officers for honor
and political purposes. and few, if any,
moved by patriotism"
This base calumny was often repeated,
s'For 81 snder lives upon sue cession,
Forever housed where it gets possession
with notifications by venial press,
biased courts, and influenced State
Legislatures Of doubtful loyalty; and
that there was proper appreciation by
the soldiers Of the issuc and the nature
Of partisan scruples, is ev.nced by the
returns Of the last election, which show
that ont Of 10000 votes cast in six
States the Union party had $4,000 and
Democracy 1000 varying from seven
teen per cent. for the independent mill.
tary candidate for Governor without a
platform in Iowa, down to per cent.
SO small in Pennsylvania, where General
Mcclellan endorsed the Democratic
candidate, that it cannot easily be COM
puted.
With brevity I will give the record
Of States on soldiers voting, beginning
with New York. In the Assembly Of
that State in 1868 there was tie party
vote withou: the Speaker, and when the
question Of soldiers voting was first
raised, eminent Democrats took ground
against their right in the abstract, and
af,erwa ards denied them a vote on pro-
fessed Constitutional scruples. Cover
nor Seymour, to avoid the issue, sent a
warning note to the Union members, in
disregard of which every member OF the
Union party in that Assembly voted to
extend suffrage to the soldiers, and
every Democrat voted against giving
suffrage, and the Governor vetoed the
bill
In the State Of Connecticut the Demo.
Gratis Of tho Legislature Of 1912 opposed
soldiers J sting, and IL the Legislature
Of 1868, on the proposition for amend
ing the Constitution 70 remove all lega
objections, every Democrat voted
against ite amendment.
The Democrats in the Legislature o.