Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-02-28

go there voluntarily. In many re-
speets the rules of war have little OF
no application to their government.
It Is true that the original act provides
that they may be governed by the
rules and articles Of war. Grant it.
How does this confie. i'm any manner
with their right to vOte2 They were
not brought there as soldier is
marched from his home to a distant
| field to return after while? they do
not come there per force. or for tenn
porary purposes, but TO make 1t their
home, their permanent residence. By
going inside the grounds they sgTee
to subject themselves 70 military rule.
Indeed some are supported outside
the asylum Now, sir, does a map
cease to be citizen the moment he
enters the army? Does the fact that
he agrees to be governed by the rules
and articles of war work his disfran-
chisement? No, sir. The crowned
heads of Europe may chateliZe their
soldiers and make their men ma
chimes. Here, our armies are made
I'D of citizens. OF the two millions
and twenty-nine thousand men who
fought under the Union banner dur
ing the civil war, no less than two
thirds were yOters-men of thought.
men Of power. In taking their places
in the lines of the army they never
surrendered for one moment the right
to vote. And nobody dreamed that
there was any conflict between the
rules and articles Of war and the right
of the elective franchise That is re-
served for the wise heads of 1871.
During that war the government
established military camps in every
State of the Union. These camps
were under the government and con-
troll Of the national authority they
were governed by martial law. Their
inmates were subject to the rules and
articles of war. The writ OF habeas
corpus was suspended. Yet, who
ever pretended these camps became
foreign territory, Or that these soldiers
could not vote in the townships where
the camps were located, provided
such were the place Of their resi-
denee?
I have a stronger case still. In
1868. the Legislature of Ohio passed a
law authorizing the soldiers who
enlisted from this State to vote wher-
ever their regiments might be located.
And on the second Tuesday in OctO-
Der of that year Ohio soldiers voted
in almost every one of the Southern
States, for State and county officers
here at home. They voted in Tennes'
see, in North Carolina, in Florida, in
the District of Columbia; they voted
in the camps and on the battle-fields,
taking turn in fighting and voting,
relieving each other that all might
vote and all might fight. On that
memorable day the volunteers of
Ohio, at the same hour, in the distant
parts of the Union, hundreds Of miles
asnnder. were fighting the rebels in
front with bullets. and the rebels in
the rear with ballots The enemies
of the Union were defeated in the
South, and their aiders and abettOrs
here in Ohio were. buried under one
hundred thousand majority
Mr. Jenner-Win the Senator per
NIT me to ask question:
Mr.. HRrt-Yes. sir.
Mr.. Jenner-Was the Senator ever
in the army himself?
Mr.. Hart, with emphasis)-No,
sir; but / have honor and manhood
enough not to be engaged in trying
to disfranehise those who iUere in the
army and came out crippled for life.
But 1 will proceed. The Senator
from Clinton reminds me of the fact
that this Soldiers Voting law has
been pronounced constitutional by
the Supreme Court of Ohio. thank
him for calling my attention to It.
The rules of war did not disfranehlse
these volunteers from Ohio. They
voted in the army on foreign soil, and
in some places where the Jurisdiction
Of the United States was exclusive
and absolute. If citizens of the State
of Ohio while in the army under
martial law and on land owned, pos {
sessed and exclusively cOntrJ He'd by
the United States can vote, surely
bona fide residents of Ohio on the soil {
Of this State, on land never suTren- 4
dered, in their own home, where they /
live and where they expect to die and 4
be buried, can vote even If they are I
subject to military law.
The poIitieal-military history Of
Ohio. for the last ten years, is a grand .
of the right of suffrage,
for which we contend to-day, and q I
standing rebuke to this outrageous
attempt to rob these veteran soldiers
Of citizenship. Her statesmen direct
ed the counsels ofthe Cabinet, mould
ing the financial and civil policy Of !
he nation. Her soldiers, whether as
leaders of the army or fighting in its
ranks, won for themselves lmperish-
,ble honor. During all this time the
State has been Jealous Of the rights of
her citizens, holding the ballot 70 be
above all price; and now. when the
,cattered veterans off hundred battle
ields, poor, sick, manned, covered all
,ver with scars as with crown Of
,lory, come IimpiDg from the many
Genes of strife to take little rest
md shelter IN the Home which the
ration prepares for its heroes, it is the
rery refinement of cruelty TO attempt
o rob them of citizenship.
Another argument that has been
dvanced as a reason why these [
-eterans should not vote is, that they 4
,ay no taxes, that they are not subject
o the laws of Ohio and that they
ave no interest in the local affairs of
county. 1t is not true
hat they are not subject to the laws
f Ohio. On the contrary the proof :
n the case shows US that the civil I
Of the State has been ex- |
ended over them ever since 1887.
Estates of deceased persons in the /
Sylum have been administered upon
nder letters granted by the Probate
,OuTt of Montgomery county; No j
aries pubIic- have been aDDOinted ,
inQuests have been held. &
papers have been issued ,
v the State Courts to these veterans. \
me man, charged with homicide, has /
cen arrested by the Sheriff, i'm
in the county jail for months, /
indicted in the Court Of Common I
'leas, and put on trial for his life. {
inmates and officers of the asylum I
ave been taxed by the local autho- /
tiles. Z
These soldiers took interest enough {
4 the rights of Ohio citizens to fight Z
)r them. We are indebted TO these ]
cry men for the ballot, for govern ;
lent, for liberty. l know these men. I
Iue hundred and thirteen of the in '
lates of this Soldiers Home are blind. Z
Iver seven hundred have lost an arm 2
r leg, or both. Allare wounded or
ek. Broken in health, armless and
ghtless, there they are, the youngest
Senty-three, the Oldest eighty-fOur !
hey are willing to be taxed If you !
link they have not paid taxes
nough. Send your tax -gatherers 3
moug them, take an inventory Of :
leir goods. They are poor. The