Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-01-23
Washington Territory Volunteers Dis.
frauchised,

Mr.. Angel, of Jefferson county, recently
introduced into the Upper branch of our
Legislature a bill for an act to enable the
Territory Volunteers to exercise
the elective franchise, which contained the
provisions
Be It enacted by the Legislative assembly Of tie Ter
ri.ory Of Washington That the resident officers and en-
listed men Of the First Regiment Of Washington Ter
ritory Infantry Volunteers be- and they hereby
thorzd at general or special election hereafter
TERRITORIAL that they would by law be entitled to vote
for If not in such service.
See. 2. That nothing herein contained shall be so
construed to cntitlc any officers or enlisted men of
said Regiment gain lose their residence by virtue
of being members thereof.
Sec g. That any law laws in conflict with this
act be, and the same are hereby repealed.
Sec. 4. This act to take effect and be in force from
and after its passage.
This bill was defeated by the following
vote:
ayes: Mcssrs. Cochran, Angel and Sim
clair-Union.
Noes Messrs /McFadden, Stewart, Shaw
and Clark-Democrats!
BY the defeat of the above bill, many
worthy citizens of this Territory are dis
franchiscd, among whom arc Capt. Tucker.
Lieutenants Kapus and Jester, and several
soldiers of the Volunteer Force at Fort
Stcilacoom, and perhaps elsewhere, residents
of the Territory long before they went into
the service. These Democratic officers may
we'll say God save US from our friends,
while we fight the undisguiscd enemy. The
bill is cmincntly just and proper one. 1t
relates only to tho few volunteer companies
of this Territory, and is we'll guarded in the
I'd section by explicitly stating that neither
officers nor enlisted men of said Regiment
shall either gain or loose Meir residence by
being members thereof Nothing can be
palmer, f;lirer or more guarded than this; it
is simply an act of justice to oid resident rot
ers Of tile Territory. Why. then, was the
bill not passed. Are Honorable Council
men afraid that the :" Lincoln Army Of this
Territory will "subjugatc the South -:or
the friends of the South or the Democratic
party s-or the means on which the party
feeds and has become so grcat-the ever
lasting negro: Oh! no, not this; for while
the Democratic party sacrifices every thing
to His Sable Majesty, the UNION ARMY lets
him slide. But seriously, injustice done to
any man or number of men, will surely re-
coil on the perpetrators Of the act. The
Territorial law Withholding the right Of suf-
frage from the officers and soldiers Of the
" Regular Army Of the United States" was
passed during the session of 1876. Hon.
Frank Clark, then Of the House, now Of the
Council, voted against the law in all stages
of its progress through the House. and for
the purpose of defeating the bill. he adopted
the Clingman tactics," by making the bill
obnoxious as possible to its friends by voting
down their proposed notifications of the law.
Now, be it remembered, the same gentle
man, by his vote in Council, refuses to grant
the elective franchise to the patriotic volun-
tcers-rcsident soldiers of Washington Ter
ritory-his ncighbors and his friends
What change has come o'cr tho the spirit Of
his dream?
SOUND P1LorAoE.-By reference to the re-
ports of Thnrsday's Legislative proceedings
it will be seen that Mr.. Bradshaw's bill to es-
.sblish board Of pilot commissioners for the
Straits and Sound, was defeated in tbs House
by small vote. The arguments used by the
friends and opposers of the bill we give in
our reports. Admitting even that vessels
may not absolutely require the assistance OF
pilots to navigate the Straits and Sound, there
is another consideration that seems to us Of
considerable importance, which is the fact that
such system already exists upon the oppo-
site side of our waters, and as tho laws of in
surance require insured vessels to avail them
selves Of the assistance Of pilots on all waters
where they legally exist, it appears to us that
it would be nothing more than fair to allow
our own vessels to avail themselves Of tho Scr
vices Of American pilots when they desire it,
and our own citizens to render the service
when desired. particularly if the law leaves it
optional with the vessel to employ pilot or
not. Our reports of this matter show that
Mr.. Bradshaw did not receive the courtesy
which he had right to expect from certain
quarters. In spite Of his remonstrance. the
single name Delgardno. of which he was ten.
acious, was stricken from his bill and another
inserted, with the appreciation and assistance
Of members representing districts not affected
one way or the other by the law. although be-
had rendered them important services. We
are happy, however, to b able to add, that
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