The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-09-20
ARTICLE VI
On Elections and the Right Of Suffrage.


shall be entitled TO vote at such election; and ey
cry white male inhabItant, of the age aforesaid,
who may be resident OF the state the time OF the
adoption of this constitution, shall have the right
OF voting as aforesaid; but no citizen iHhdbi-
tGHt shall be entitled 10 rOte, except an the district
or county an trhich he shall actually reside at the
tIHts of such election.
At the session OF our legislature, in the
winter of 1863, bill for a law authorizing
our absent soldiers TO vote was introduced and
referred TO special committee. on.Joseph
B. Underwood, a republican member of the
house, from st. Clair county, one of the
sOundest thinkers and ablest constitutional
lawyers IN the state, was a member of the
house. He was prominent member OF the
special committee appointed to report upon
the subject. That committee, imposed Of re-
publlcans and democrats, made a report
which was concurred in by the house The
report was against the power 20 confer the
right to vote, unless enabled to DO so Dy au
amendment of the constitution. When the
report was adopted, d number Of members
explained their votes, giving reasons why the
soldiers could not vote unless the constitu.
ton was amended. Mr. Underwood, on that
occasion, said:
Mr.. SPEAKER Perhaps in Justice TO myself as
well as my constituents, / ought 10 explain nv
vote. 1t seems to many, perhaps. very extraordI-
nary that l am the only republican member Of
tins committee who has signed the mainrity re-
port; but assure you that member OF this leg
lslaJUrs, under our constitution. feel that | am
under higher Obligations that those created by par
~ alliances Il Is not my province to determine
whether there are more republicans or more dem
n q TrDE IA hon rEIi
mine and report constitutional right, / hope may
never be influenced by political prejudices.
The hrst point mace IN the report 1 think NAV be
unteuable. am inclined to think that the legis-
iature might Tx the time, times of such election
IN tneIr own discretion. As to the point made
IN the report-tnat no cI.IZen except IN the
clear aud unequIyocai provision of the constitGe
ton requires IT, and that well taken as an ohiec.
ton TO receiving votes of our own citizens out OF
the state 1t Is true the volunteers are still resi-
dents and voters within their respective districts
but being absent from their residences the constI-
tuition InhIbIts them from voting the same as our
members OF congress and all other of our citizens
who are away from home on the day OF election
Again, the last part of the report which seems 10
apologize for such decision not fully Indorse
must confess that think 1t would be against
PhDhc PoIcy to allow our citizens out of the
10 vote. There was good pun pose for tins CON
bttuuonal provision. IL was to preserve the pun
~ OF the ballot box, TO prevent men from voting
twice, to have citizens vote before judges who
knew their qualIiCa lions, and for other reasons
me volunteers are not, while absent, fully ac-
quaInted with local men and matters at home. IL
would also tend to cBgender political strife con-
fusion and GENERALIZATION IN tine army; II would
afford TOO much outside influence over the voter
II ""uiG draw the attention of the army from their
legitimate business of supprcssIug the rebellion BY
i"Fce Iteel confident that the intelligent OF
our volunteers do not wish law allowing vote
under sGch circumstances. And although Iwauld !
IKE very much to see the democracy cleaned OF
pow or in tins state, am in ia of doing So BY
legitimate and constitutional means. 1 aye, |
for the report.
The democrats desired that the soldiers. |
who were absent from this state, in the SER |
wee OF their country, should have an oppur-
tuuIty to exercise the right of suffrage but /
they had taken an oath to support, maintain |
and defend the constitution, which emphatic
Ally declares that 'no citizen or iahabitaat |
shall be entitled to Uote, except IN tile DISTRICT
'r county an aOlicA he shall actually reside at
lie time Of such election" and they could not
vote for such law, unless the constitution
was amended, toithOW they conlnsItted perjury.
They proposed to unite with the republicans
n an effort to amend the constitution ia or
Ter to permit absent soldiers to vote, but tbs
lie republicans refused to do and the matter
was dropped.
At the last session of the legislature the
epublicans enacted such law, which is in
lirect defiance of :he constitution, and which.
We have no doubt, viii be decided uuconsti-
utional whenever it Is brought before the su
,rome court of the state.
In Michigan, (the constitution of which
tate contains similar article to the one we
ave quoted from our constitution lthe repub
leans, In the heat OF party zeal, and in order
0 make capital with the soldiers, attempted
UGH a law, but republican supreme court
ipheid the constitution and he law was of
10 effect.
lnIPennsylvania they ena cted such law, 1
ut che supreme court decided against 1,.and
no constitution of that state was amended TO
utborize i.
In New York they adopted the suggestion
Gov Seymour and amended their constitu-
on 80 to admit of such law. I
We might give other instances, but tbese G
re enough. They show that the democrat. s
ere always willing to favor such laws when a
hey could without doing violence to the con. I,
itution and their oaths of Office. The SOL N
ers know this, and they know, too. that
icy never found better friends among the f.
publicans than among the democrats. Lett is