New-York tribune., 1870-12-01
HEAR THEM e!

Ibe Cincinnati Enquirer says that Col. Lewis
d. Campbell was the author of the Democratic
project of law with regard to the vote of
crippled soldiers residing in the National
Asylum near Dayton, Ohio. Here are what
il calls "the points made by Col. Campbell" :"
al That the last citizen who ought to be deprived OF
his night to vote tho soldier who had perled ms
life in defense of the Government.
"2. That proper enjoyment OF the suffrage woud DO
better secured by giving tho soldier the right to choose
between the candidates known to him where he hhu
resided and his home legally was than by competing
hun TO vote for candidates In Montgomery County, VINO
were strangers 10 him.
"3 That it would DO grossly unjust TO the taxpayers
and citizens OF Montgomery County that the tederai
Government should coonzc thousand or more voters
upon them TO control their local government ana pocy'
who neither pay taxes the county nor have any cOn
munity or identity of interest with its people
at That the idea Of home for tho crippled defenders
OF the country IS founded generous and patriotic
philanthropy and that the instiuton Is great ndhohd
charity that ought to be proudly cherished by all parties
and by all classes OF czens but that the efforts OF tho
Republicans to convert IL into partisan colony Tor tho
congregation Of voters from other places TO control inc
political complexion Of the county and district was III
palpabIe conflict with tie spirit in which the Home orig
mated and was calculated to, provoke public I-wlu
against It,"
Col Campbell, it wOuld seem, was quite
willing that the crippled soldiers should vote,
provided this did not give them chance to
vote orainst him. Yet he was Union soldier as
they were, and processes to be the same as ever.
Why does he fear to let the soldiers pass upon
his cascf
How happens Iit that the voting of disabled
soldiers who are so poor as to take refuge In
n National Asylum, and who are received there
without inquiry into their politics, should con-
stitute "a partisan cOlony" Are we not told
that the rank and file were mainly Dem
ocrats Suppose this had been an Asylum for
crippled Rebel soldiers, would the Dem
ocrats have challenged their votes These
soldiers have no home but the Asylum.
Before they came thither, they were residents
of different States and Territories. How could
they vote intclligently for candidates whose
very names were strange to them-who would
often have migrated from distant State since
they entered the Asylum1 Why should they
vote for local officers of States, counties and
townships, which they had, years ago, a0an-
doned forever7 If not qualified to vote for
officers of the county wherein they had lived
for years. how should they be qualified to vote
for officers of distant counties
The prolfer of the right to vote somewhere
else is deusion aud n snare, Suppose a
soldier sent his vote from the Asylum to his
old home in Tennessee or Kentucky, do you
suppose it would there be pOled and counted
You know it would not. To insist that soldiers
shall not vote where they live is to deny them
tho right 70 vote at all.
We appeal to that body which the Federal
Constitution constitutes sole judge of the eiec-
ton and qualification of its members.