Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-10-05
ADDRESS OF THE UNION STATE CENTRAL
COMMITTEE.


ADDRESS OF THE UNION STATE CENTRAL
COMMITTEE.
We have received from the Hon. John
Cessna, Chairman of the Union State Central
Committee, copy of very able address
from that body to the people of the State,
on the issues Of the campaign, which is too
long to enable us to give it entire We
make room, however, for the following ex-
tracts:
THE SOLDIERS.
Extraordinary efforts are being made by
our opponents to obtain the votes of our
fellow citizens recently returned from the
service of the country IN the army Of the
nation. In these efforts they should and
it is confidently believed that they will
fail
/. Because vigorous prosecution Of the
war for the suppression of the rebellion has
ever been urged by the Union party of the
country.
| 2 Because the war has never been sus-
tanned or advocated by the leaders of the
party opposed to the Administration.
g. Because the friends Of the Union
cause have always sustained and support
ed the soldiers in the field, and the leaders
Of pretended Democracy have ridculed and
derided the soldiers of the Uniou, calling
them Lincoln's hirelings," robbers, I"
''plunderers, and other epithets unfit for
repetition. @s--.-.a
4. Because when volunteers were called
for, they demanded draft
5. Because when the draft came, they
opposed the Communication clause, and de-
clared it was a discrimination against the
poor man.
6. Because when that clause was repeal
ed they complained that the only hope of
the poor man was gone.
I. Because they denounced the war as
negro war, and did nothing to aid or assist
in carrying it on.
g. Because they became highly indignant
when negro troops were called for, and
threw the benefit Of all their sympathies
with the South
9. Because they opposed every measure
the Government found it necessary to adopt
for the suppression of the rebellion.
10. Because they magnified every rebel
success, and deprecated every Union vic
tory.
II. Because, in 1864 they declared the
war failure.
u. Because, in 1865, they declare that
the fruits of the war are "debt, disgrace
and slaughter"
l3 Because they tried to prevent the eX-
tension Of the right of suffrage to soldiers
in service. Their leaders opposed it in al
most every form Senator Wallace, now
Chairman of their State Central Committee,
said, (see Record of 1864, pages and 339,)
" vote against this bill upon principle, as
form 1t is said that so meritorious a class
as volunteer soldiers should not be disfran-
chised To this | answer that neither the
Constitution of 1870 nor that of 1888 con-
ferred this privilege, and the act of the
soldier in taking upon himself duties that
are, from their nature, Incompatible with
the right of suffrage, deprives him of this
privilege. He disfranchises himself when
he ceases to be a citizen, and takes upon
himself the duties of a soldier" When the
amendment of the Constitution was sub
mitted to a vote of the people, many of the
so-called Democratic counties gave majori-
ties against it, while every county in the
State and it is believed every election pre-
cinct,) which gave to Abraham Lincoln
majority OF its votes, gave a majority in
favor Of the amendment.
14Their leaders almost invariably oppos
ed giving bounties to volunteers, while the
friends of the Union party always sustain
ed and supported these measures.
Is. Even since the war is over, they en-
ployed their ablest lawyers in an effort to
declarethe bountylaws unconstitutional, and
really persuaded their two friends on the
bench of the Supreme Court so to hold.
hp,, pl 70
fill up the ranks, and the Government order
ed draft, they resisted and all their rep
resentatives upon the bench of the Supreme
Court declared the law authorizing the ma
tional government to take men out of the
State by draft was unconstitutional and
void. Men were only obtained and the ma
tion saved because their party was defeat
ed at the polls in 1868, and the act Of three
of these Judges rebuked by the people and
one of their places filled by loyal man and
sound Judge.
II. Because they have tried to iniure the
credit and disparage the currency of the
country, by means of which the pay, boun-
ties and pensions of the soldiers can alone
be paid This point they also pressed be-
fore the Supreme Court of the State, and
failed by division of three to two.
Is. Because the platform of the Union
party recognizes the services Of the soldier
declares that the war was commenced by
the rebels-that peace was the result of
the courage and heroism of the Union army
that the cause in which he fought was
holy and sacred, and that honor, glory and
prosperity to the country, and not " debt,
disgrace and slaughter" are the legitimate
fruits of his toll
l9. Because the Union men expressed the
hope that our troops might soon be able to
conquer the South, even by their exhaustion
and want of food, those leaders of the new
Democracy declared that "we could never