The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-09-06
Che Campaign,
J0hn Sherman on the Constitutional
Amendment.
Why the Ballot should be
given the Negro.

SAN SlA CliS Os
Senator SHERMAN spoke at Canton, Stark
County, on the evening of the Goth nit. In
opening he gave his reasons why the Con
stitutional Amendment should be adopted
He said:
am requested, fellow citizens, by the
State Executive Committee of the Union
party, to spe TX to you in regard to politi
cal topics. never entered upon can
vass of this kind without feeling of diff
fdence and q sense of the responsibility
that rests upon all of us. Our General
Government, unlike most governments
rests mainly upon popular opinion. Al.
though you can act upon political questions
only through representatives. yet, directly
or remotely, every question depends upon
the judgment of the public. Every meet
ing of the people is primary Congress
therefore, in speaking to you, can only
claim the same interest in public affairs
that each citizen possesses.
Iwill state to you frankly my own opin.
ions upon some of the matters involved in
the next election. 1t is for you to say
whether they are right or wrong.
In addition to the usual election of State
officers in Ohio, we are required to vote
for or against an amendment of our State
Constitution. 1t is submitted to us by the
Legislature, and if, in voting. we do not
vote for it, our vote is counted against it,
The question is, who shall hereafter vote
in Ohio2 The amendment provides that
every male citizen of the United States, of
the age of q years, who has the proper
residence, may vote at all elections. unless
he has borne arms against the United States
or has fed the draft, or has deserted his
oalors in the Union army in time OF war.
In other words, il is universal manhood
suffrage unless the right to vote is for
feited by his crimes.
This is the same question that is now
agitating more countries than our own.
No MOI important one can be submitted
to you. 1t lies at the foundation of all
government, where The people have any
part in their government, and is preliminary
to all other political questions.
Who shall vote in Ohio?
The general answer should be that every
person should vote whose life or property
is affected by lhe laws. This rule is found
ed upon general axioms that are the fouu
dation of our system
All just governments are based upon the
consent Of the governed.
Taxation without representation is tyr.
amy.
All persons are equal before the law,
and should rave an equal voice in making
she laws. All these axioms point to the
broadcast suffrage; but as by natural law
all persons cannot vote, exceptions neees-
sarily exist limiting universal suffrage
An exclusions from the right to vote
should be founded upon the strongest
reasons. Whenever the reason for exclu-
sion is of doubtful force, the right to vote
ought to exist.
This amendment excludes all minors
under the age of tweuty-one years, for the
obYious reason that until a certain age
persons are not capable to take charge
even OF their own property. Women are
exclnded. because it is conceived that fam
lily ties and duties are inconsistent with
the turbulence of political strife, and be-
cause they are sufficiently represented by
their husbands aud kindred.
] am not 50 sure about the exclusion of
women for the recent discoveries on this
subject in England and America have
shown that the reasons for their exclusion
are not 80 clear but we can we'll leave this
question stand as it is for the present
The ladies' will make their voices heard
IN due time.
Others are excluded for idiocy, lunacy.
and for crime. These are obvious reasons,
But the materisl question Isl whether it