The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-06-24

fore them two credible witnesses, to
whom shall be rendered by said judges
the following affirmation sYou and
each of you do solemnly swear Cor af-
FIRM that you will fully and truly ans
wer all such questions as may be put
to you, touching the qualifications of
(the name of the person cballenged) as
an elector.' Thereupon the judges, or
one of them, shall put to each person
respectively the following questions !:
L. Are you acquainted with lthe name
of the person challenged); if SO for how
long a time have you known him? 2.
Do you know when, where, and in what
State he was born 5. Were you &C
quainted with his parents or either of
them? If yes, did such parents or
either of them, have a distinct and WIS.,
ible admixture of African blood, and
were they married, or did they live to-
gether as man and wife z"
y
"SEc. 4. No evidence shall be re-
ceived as to the admixture of white
blood which is based on the opinion of
the person challenged or of the witness
testifying in his behalf, founded merely
upon appearance, unless the facts are
fully stated as to the parentage of the
person challenged and no evidence of
reputation as to the parentage shall be
received, unless the parties about whom
such reputation exists are proved to have
been married"
Now, after this inquisitorial test,
which may be applied to every citizen
of the Stale, black or white, if he is
enabled to trace his pedigree, if he is
able to do more than wise children usu-
ally can, and say, not only who was his
father, but who were his paternal and
maternal ancestors; if he can pass this
ordeal safely, he may then be permit
ted to deposit his vote.
But the Democracy of Ohio did not
stop there Knowing very well that
wherever patriotism and education are
paramount there is but smatll hope for
them, they passed a law forbidding any
student in the colleges and academies
of Ohio, if not a permanent resident of
the place where the institution is loca
ted, the right the vote. Now, there
are 20 OF 80 colleges in the State of
Ohio, and it is very well known that
nine -tenths of the students in all the
colleges, academies and high schools
in the State, are Republicans, and vote
with the Union party ; and this Demo
cratic Legislature have attempted to
put out the light by depriving the mass
of Ohio students of oil share In the
legislation of the State.
As a fit companion to this law, that
Legislature passed another which every
member Of this House ought to know :
The General Government has located
at the city Of Dayton Ohio, a Soldiers
Home, in which we have gathered. not
only from Ohio but from Deighboring
States a large number of crippled, dis
abled soldiers. There are now nearly
one thousand such soldiers at that
Home, sustained by the Government of
the United States because of wouads
and disabilities incurred in the late war
for the Union.
Now, knowing very we'll that these
men would vote as they fought, that
they would stand with ihe same party
when they came to the ballot box that
they stood with when they were in the
field, this Democratic Legislature has
passed a law %forbidding any inmate of
the Soldiers Home from voting at any
election In the State. The Soldiers
Homo is to be their home for life /; it is
not a mere temporary residence. They
are disabled pensioners of the Govern
ment-kept there in the Government
asylum ; and this Democratic Legisla-
ture of Ohio says that not one of them
shall ever vote at any election in the
State. And the managers of that Sol
diers' Home, one of whom sits zeal me.
are receiving letters from soldiers in
other States of the Uuion, saying that
they had intended to appfyfesadmis-
sion to that home in Ohio ; but since
this law hfs passed they would prefer
to beg their bread from door to door
rather than have their rights as loyal
voters of this country thus trampled up
on by a Democratic Legislature
Mr.. VAN TRUMP-Will my col
eague allow me to ask him a question !?
Mr.. notwithstanding.
Mr.. VAN TFUMP-I would ask
my colleague if he knows a single State
in this Union that permits students at
college to acquire a residence and e
vote simply from being suck students
at college?
Mr. GARFIELD-I will say to the
gentleman that so far as 1 know for the
last twenty years students in the col
leges of Ohio have been permitted to
vote
MI. MORGAN-Yes, sir ; and they
have voted in violation of an express
statute every year they have SO voted
there.
Mr.. GARFIELD-Tht question will
probably come up in the gentleman's
OWE election case, and I will postpone
any argument upon it until that time
Mr.. PAYNE-Will the gentleman
yield TO me for a remark upon this
Mr.. GARFIELD will.
Mr.. PAYNE-Haying myself been
a citizen of the State of Ohio, and hav-
ing been a student in that State,I know
Of my own knowledge that the laws of
The State of Ohio have been construed
20 as to allow students to vote. That
is, where a student enters a college for
four years, he acquires, under the laws
IF the State of Ohio, that sort of resi-
dence that entities him to a vote
!. MI. MILLER-Will the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Garfeld) allow me to
a word upon this point?
Mr.. GARFIELD-Very well.