The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-10-29
Highest Of all in Leavening Power-LatestU i. S. Cows Report.


lature of the State of New York.
There is at Bath, Steuben county,
New York. an Old Soldiers Home. 1t
is supported by the State, and it has
been occupied by about 1900 veter-
ans since 1878. In 1880, the Home
was made a separate election precinct
of the town of Bath. In 1885 one of
the Governors of the Home became
the Republican candidate for Cover
nor of the State. He was heartily
disliked by the veterans. and, as a re-
suit of his unpopularity, the dis
trlct gave a majority for his Demo
cratic opponent, David B. Hill.
At the town meeting in February,
1886, a man named Silvey, a willing
tool of the Republican managers of
the town, was selected, who, upon
being challenged, signed a prepared
statement, so worded as to bring him
within the operation Of article 2, Sec
tion 8, of the State Constitution,
which prohibits paupers from voting.
This statement was presented to the
courts without any notice to those in
terested and railroaded to a decision.
From this time the veterans were not
allowed to vote, and those who at
tempted to do SO were indicted.
Such was the condition of affairs at
the opening of the State Legislature.
On January IL, 1883, Governor Hill,
by special message, communicated
these facts, and asked that immediate
attention be given to remedial legis-
lation. An effort was made to
smother the message by reference to
the Judiciary Committee. To avoid
this q motion was made by the Dem
ocratic leader that the committee re-
port within ten days, and on this the
party lines were drawn, the Repub-
licans voting to bury the subject.
One hundred and thirteen votes were
cast--yeas, CT (Republicans); nays, 46
(Democrats).
Then commenced a running fight,
the Dem ocrats fighting for legislation,
the Republican against it, until Feb
ru airy II, when two reports were SUBJ
mitted by the committee (Assembly
documents SO, so. The Republican
proposition was to submit a Constitu-
tional Amendment that could not
reach the people until 1891. The
Democratic proposition was the i'm
mediate passage Of a bill defining the
status of the Home ASSEMBLY bill, p.
572). Pending action on the amend
ment, the Democrats accepted the
Republican proposition and de-
manded a vote on theirs
This brought the issue squarely
down to the question whether the
Soldiers Home should be declared an
"almshouse, and its inmates deprived
of the right to vote. On this question
there were 113 votes cast, sixty-four
Republicans obeying the party lash
and voting for disfranchisement,
f%orty-nine Democrats voting to give
the veteran manhood suffrage.
In presence of this record, a little
silence would be becoming in repub-
licans ON the veteran question. If
Grover Cleveland vetoed more pen
sion bills than any other President,
he signed nearly as many as all
the other Presidents together. Besides
in the administration of the civil SER
vice, he was the old soldiers best
friend. In amending the Civil Ser
vice Rules, Mr.. Cleveland,s by an adj
dition thereto in his own handwrit-
ing, exempted veterans from a COM
pulsory examination for promotion in
the classified service. And the veterans
were the only ones thus exempt. He
retained in Office a very large number
of Republican oficehold ers who were
subject to dismissal, simply because
they were veterans.
Let us have the truth laid before
the veterans and the people at large.
Mere MARRIAGE Not Enoug II.