Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-09-21
"Interfering with Elections
From the Madison Journal. ]

One Of the resolutions Of the Mcclellan
platform declares that the interference of
the military authorities of the United
States as in the elections in Maryland,
Kentucky, Missouri and Delaware, will be
treated as a revolutionary act, and resist
ed with all the means and power they, the
Democratic party, can command
The meaning of this language is obvi-
GUS 1t is a declaration that any attempt
To restrain the secessionists Of the Border
States from controlling the elections in the
rebel districts Of those States will be a
signal for civil war at the North; that the
Democratic party in the Northern States
will thereupon follow the example of the
Democratic party in the Southern States
and rise in rebellion against the National
Government.
The condition of affairs in the Border
States is well known. There are portions
of Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri as
intensly disloyal as any part Of the South
crn States. 4 gentleman residing in this
city, himself q supporter of Mcclellan,
who spent most of the summer in the
southern part of Maryland, has informed
us since his return that nearly every able
bodied man in that section of the State
was in the rebel army, and that those re
" in favor of the rebellion. The same
state Of things exists in many portions OF
Kentucky and Maryland, while in large
districts the disloyal population is suffi-
ciently strong and aggressive to prevent
a free expression at the ballot-boX, unless
protection is afforded by the General Gov
ernment
| In view of these facts, and to prevent
! the return and voting of bands ofguerril-
/ las and furloughed soldiers in the rebeI
service, the military authorities in those
/ States, at the last elections, required every
man whose loyalty to the Union was
! doubted TO take the oath of allegiance be-
! fore voting. They furthermore stationed
troops at some points where danger was
rehended from guerrillas and other
rebel organizations, to preserve the peace
Their Quty was simply to protect tnlor
men in the right to free vote No man
who would take the oath of allegiance
was kept from the polls. The sole result
Of the military interference was to preserve
peace There is not a grain of evidence
to show that any man of lawful age anC
otherwise suitable to vote, who woulC
take the oath of allegiance has been pre-
vented by the military authorities OF thu
United States from the right of suffrage
The identical districts in Maryland, wher
IL is alleged that the elections were inter
fered with by the military authorities
gave large vote for the anti-administra
ton ticket. and in some Of them electe'
it. Mr. Benjamin Harris, a most vlru
lent foe to the Administration, and a
undisguised friend to jeff Davis and tn
rebellion, was elected to Congress in
district where this alleged military inter
ference occurred This fact alone !
sufficient evidence that there was no IL
reference to prevent a free vote
Why, then, DO the Mcclellan Demo'r'
cy. the party in favor of an ''immedlat
cessation of hostilities" with the rebel:
complain of military interference with tn
elections Manifestly because they wan
the votes of men who will not take tn
oath of allegiance. They want the I mo
voters kept from the polls in the Borde
States They know that every guerrili
vote. that every furloughed soldIer 1roI
Jeff Davis army who can cast ballot
E the next election in those States, Will z
for Mcclellan and Pendleton. The Inte
. ference with the elec ctions there by arme
bands of rebels, the exclusion OF Cnlo
> men from the polls, the lawless reign {
= fraud and force sitting the voice of loyalt
and converting the expression ol che "a
lot-box into q swindle and lie, Is wht
they desire Hence their denunclatlor
of military interference. Hence the
; bvpocritical clamor for "a free ballot
= a free fight. Their threats, howeve
/, will not intimidate the Government
will do its duty 1t viii protect the 10y
: men Of the Border States from the frau
. and violence sought to be practIced upc
them. 1t will shield the ballotboX fro
e the contamination of rebel control.
4 will take care that the right of all 10y
voters to cast free ballot, unintimldatt
bv threats or influences of any kind wha
4 ever. Is strictly maintained invIolate.,,
3 And It will. we trust. exclude from 3
is polls every man who IS unwilling % ave
Il his allegiance to the Union
In connection with this article the fc
lowing extract from a recent speech
Of General Schenck Of ONO, who command
N in the Department of Maryland at I