Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-09-29
DE@ERTERS
AND
SKEDADDIERS
DISFRANCHISEDl
5000 fine for taking their votes
EVERY BOARD THAT RECEIVES
THEIR VOTES SHALL BE
PROSECUTED

The 2lst section of the act Of
Congress, approved March 3, 1865,
provides as follows:
SECTION .--And be at further
enacted, That in addition to the
other lawful penalties of the crime
of desertion from the military and
naval service, all persons who have
deserted the military or naval SER
vice of the United States, who
shall not return to said service or
report themselves to a Provost
Marshal within sixty days after
the proclamation hereinafter men
toned, shall be deemed and taken to
hare Uoluntmily rsliaguisbed and
forfeited their rights Of citizenship,
and their rights to become citizens; !;
and s1ch deserters shall be foreuer in
capable Of holding qny office Of trust
or profit @nder the United States,
or Of exercising apy rights Of citi-
sens thereof and all persons who
shall hereafter desert the military
or naval service, and all persons
who being duly enrolled, shall de-
part the jurisdiction of the district
in which he is enrolled, or 90 be-
yond the limits of the United
States, with intent to avoid any
draft into the military or naval
service, duly ordered, shall be
liable to the penalties of this sec
ton. And the President is here
by authorized and required forth
with, on the passage of this act, to
issue his proclamation setting forth
the provisions Of this section, in
which proclamation the President
is requested to notify all deserters
returning within sixty days as
aforesaid, that they shall be par
doned on condition Of returning to
their regiments and companies OF
such other organizations as they
may be assigned to, until they
shall have served for period oi
time equal to their original term
of enlistment" /"
In obedience to the latter clause
of this section, the President of the
United States, on the llth day oi
March, 1865, issued his proclama-
ton "ordering and requiring" all
deserters to return to their posts;
or to report themselves to Provost
Marshals for duty, on or before the
18th day of May, 1855.
That proclamation and the act
of Congress upon which it was
based, were published in all the
authorized newspapers of the 10th
District. Thus all parties inter
ested had full knowledge of their
rights and ample warning of the
penalty that would ensue in case
they neglected to avail themselves
of the privilege Of reporting on or
before the Ilth day of May, 1865.
The I03d section of the general
election act of Pennsylvania, ap-
proved july 2, 1889, declares
that
''If aay inspector or .jtCige of an
election shall kRotciR0ly reject the
uote Of a4ay qualified citizen or
KNOUINGLY RECEIFE THE
TOTE OF 4NT PERSON NOT
QUALIFIED, OR CONCE4L
FROM HIS FELLOW OFFICERS
my FACT IN THE KNOWL-
EDGE OF WHICH SUCH TOTE
SHOULD By Law BE RECEIT-
ED OR REJECTED, Ell CH OF
THE PERSONS SO OFFENDING
SHALL ON CONVICTION, BE
PUNISHED IN THE DINNER
PRESCRIBED IN THE 10SIH
SECTION OF THIS 4ACT."
Ind on referring to the Penalty
IN the I01th section it says that
each such person 50 CONCERNED
TIER Elm. .SH4LL, ON CON
FICTION THEREOF. BE FINED
IN Any SUM NOT LESS THIN
FIFTY NOR MORE THIN TITO
HUNDRED DOLL4R Rs"
We now tell every Copperhead
election officer in the county, if
he receives such votes, we will
prosecute him to the extent of
the law. Union men are request
ed to take the name of every per-
son voting, disqualified by the
above act of Congress, and for
ward the same with the name OF
the officer taking the vote, to the
Chairman of the Union County
Committee.
The State Election took place in Maine on