Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1864-08-10
Right of the Soldier to Vote.

hiSAt VI IUC OOIQ4cl ~ V Obc.
Ever since the formation of the Con-
stitution of Pennsylvania her citizen
soldiery enjoyed the right to vote, no
matter where they were-an instance
Of which will be remembered by most
Of our readers when citizens of this
county were in Mexico. No one
dreamed there was anything wrong
about it until a copperhead Judge,
backed up by patent democratic wire
workers, got an idea in his head that
the soldiers might support the govern
ment in vigorous prosecution OF the
war, and accordingly made a decision
that no man has a right to vote eX-
cept in the district where he is as
sessed and resides. The stupidity Of
such a decision cannot be better ex-
emplifed than by the well-known fact
that at the present day neither Gran
vile, Derry, Oliver nor Wayne vote
in their districts. This absurd decis-
ion rendered an amendment to the
Constitution necessary, measure
which one would naturally suppose
could not be objected to by any man
having grain of sense in his head,
The peace tories however had no scru-
pies respecting it. By an apparently
concerted plan, every corner Of the
State was at once filled with party
hounds who barked out lies OF a char
acter so low-lifed that it is difficult to
conceive how thing in human shape
could become so degraded Thus, al
though the proposed amendment eX-
pressly stated that the privilege was
only to be extended to "quoiifed elec
tors" it was represented that because
white boys and negroes were in the
service, they could also vote if the
amendment was adopted By such
speciOus falsehoods themass of the dem.
ocrats in the country were deceived in
to an act which will stigmatize them
as intolerant partisans as long as they
live, and will rise in Judgment against
them for years to come when they are
up for office 1t is also a fact worthy
OF note that while the runners of the
democratic party, we'll known to be in
the confidence Of the leaders, were dis
tributing the poison, those leaders pro-
tessed friendship for the soldiers right
to vote This double policy is little
too transparent to dupe any one, for
it is an undeniable fact that the re-
publican and war democracy through
out the State polled a solid vote for
the amendment, which, with those
democrats not yet stepped in "peace
on any terms" made up the majority.
The soldiers we have no doubt will
read the local returns on this question
with astOnishment What. forinstance,
will a democrat from this county car
rying a musket think Of the "demoe-
racy" Of Brown township. where a reg
ular majority is given against his right
to vote because he is defending his
country? What of the 30'in the East
Ward, % in the West, y in Derry, 62
in Granville, 70 in Decatur, ,36in Wayne,
46 in the two Armaghs, 81 in Union,
and 81 in Menno-embracing all the
principal democratic office hunters in
the county?
The votes by counties proves that
while the republican counties without
exception give heavy majorities in
favor of the first amendment, all the
maiorities against it come from demo-
cratic, as the following returns will
show:
Clinton, Maj. against lst amendment 96
Centre ql
Berks 1o45