The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1867-10-02
TO THE SOLDIERS.


tempting, through the courts, to con-
strue away the war, and to stop that,
we want able and loyal judges. Such
Judge we have in Hon. H. w. Will
liams, and he deserves the vote of
every soldier. He never decided the
draft to be unconstitutional. He never
decided the national currency to be
unconstitutional He never will.
But beyond the personal question of
a candidate, we wish to give in as few
words as possible some simple reasons
why no true soldier should ever under
any circumstances vote a Democratic
ticket. Firstly, and most rightcously
because the Democracy were opposed
to your voting any ticket at all. The
record of every election on the soldier
suffrage question shows that in black
and white. Had they had their way,
you, when in front of them on the
field, would have been eligible for
taxation, but not for voting. In
other words, your political condition
would have been exactly that ofne-
groes.
Every soldier has had his own life
repeatedly exposed by the direct ac-
tion of the Democratic party. Every
body knows that the running of Nc
Clellan, on a surrender platform, pro-
longed the warjust one year. Every
soldier who has heard cheers for enc
Clellan and Pendleton" ring out from
rebel trenches, or who has taken or
guarded rebel prisoners, knows this,
and cannot be talked out of it now.
And this is onl y one instance of Demo-
cratic aid and comfort to the enemy.
Rebel arms were strengthened, rebel
hearts were made brave; rebel courage
was supported, during all the war, by
Democratic speeches, Democratic news
papers, Democratic conventions. 1t
is not Imagination to say that Demo-
cratic money pointed rebel bayonets at
your breasts and sped rebel bullets to
your hearts. This is consideration
for the voting fathers and brothers of
the dead boys in blue.
The Democracy has formally rcpu-
dated you. In solemn convention
assembled, they have declared the war
to be failure-all your time, suffer-
ing, and wounds to be worthless. After
its happy and auspicious termination
they have declared its result to be
"debt slaughter, and disgrace" Your
commander-in-chicf they stigmatizcd
as an ape and buffoon; your generals
as butchers, beasts, and brutcs; your
selves as "hirelings," "tools," "slavcs." i"
No abuse has been too low, no Ian
guage too insulting, for the private
soldiers of the army of the Union.
Repudiate them.
The Democracy has deserted you in
every hour of trial and danger. They
have opposed every draft, and thus
impcded and delayed your Reinforced
mcnts in the face of death. They
have Systematically labored to depre-
ciatc the national currency and the
public credit, thus lowering your
wages and raising the prices at home
on your wives and children. They
have magnified rebel victories, and de-
preciated your exploits. You cannot,
consistently with your past record, if
it is a clear one, vote for them or with
them now.
Trust to no professions Of friendship
now. They had none for you when
You were falling before rebel steel.
They want you now-need you-but
do not love you any more to-day
than when in the heat of the conflict
they denounced the draft and left you
unsupported in the trenches. They,
yes even they, will despise you for
being deceived at this hour, and will
respect your comrades who stand by
the flag now as in 1S61-whom neither
fear nop-fattery, nor cJoling can mis-
lead.
The struggle now is the same as
that which won its weary length from
Sumpter to the Appomattox. The
issues of this falls campaign are in
scparable from those for which you
fought 50 long and well. You cannot
disjoin them. You cannot act now as
you would not have acted then. You
cannot shoot one way and vote another.
REPUBLICANS of Greene county,
you have ticket that deserves your
hearty support and triumphant cleo
tion. It's unexceptionable in every
particular. 1t is composed of men