The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-26
THE PROPOSED Observation-Disclosures
OF VETERANS.

Of VETERANS.
II anything could add to the infamy of
the Democratic attempt to disfranchise the
veterans in the Soldiers Home at Marion
1t would be the himsiness of the legal pre-
texts on which ii is sought to be done.
The home was established by the joint ac-
ton of the State and the United States
for the benefit of old and disabled veterans.
II 1t had been the purpose or desire of the
Legislature or of Congress to deny inmates
of the home the right of voting, it could
have been done in few words. The fact
that it was not done is evidence that neither
the State nor the United States wished to
deprive them of that privilege. In the alb
sence of any such provision the Democratic
managers are seeking to establish a pretext
for the Acknowledgement in legal technicali-
ties which, from broad and equitable
point of view, have no relation to the sub
ject. To properly appreciate the animus Of
the movement it is important that these
points should be clearly understood.
First, it is contended thar the grounds
of the Soldiers Home constitute a govern
ment reservation over which the State has
no control whatever and the inhabitants
of which cannot vote under State laws
The State originally ceded to the national
government 304 acres of land for the home.
and subsequently the national government
by act of Congress, coded it back to the
State. To make the Democratic contention
on this point good they have to insist, as
they do. that while the national government
had power to accept the land from the
State it had no power to convey it back
In other words. it could receive and hold a
title to land but could not make one As
matter of fact the national government
has, in scores of cases sold to individuals
or ceded back to States lands previously
ceded to itself. 1t has done so many times
with the lands of Indian reservations. For
an individual to deny the government the
right to divest itself of a land title is to
place the sovereign below the citizen. The
entire States of Ohio. Indiana and Michi-
gan were originally relinquished or ceded
by Virginia to the United STATES and suba
sequently sold by the latter 10 individual
purchasers or coded to the several States
The contention that Congress had no power
to cede back to the State of Indiana the
Soldiers Home lands is too absurd to be
thought of by any person except Demo-
cratic managers in search of partisan adj
vantage.
The other branch of the Democratic con-
tention is that as none of the veterans
living at the home is a freeholder of land
within its boundaries there are no qualified
election officers in the precincts, and con-
sequently there can be no legal election
Heretofore the commissioners of Grant
county have obviated this objection by ex-
tending the precincts outside to take
in some resident freeholders, but now it is
proposed to compel them to leave the home
grounds out of any precinct and therefore
as the Democrats contend. without any
qualified election officers. This contention
grows out of the other, for if the home
grounds are a national reservation and be-
yond the jurisdiction of the State in every
respect, they could not be brought under
its election laws. The whole contention
turns on the point whether the United
States had power to cede back to the State
of Indiana. as it did. the land previously
The mere statement of the case shows
how narrow and technical are the grounds
on which the Democratic claim is based
In a republican government it would be
impossible to find any other grounds on
which to base claim for the disfranchise-
ment of large body of voters. 1t is the
theory of republican government that every
oif nf lnoo
crime, shall possess the right of suffrage.
If there is one class more than all others
entitled to this highest right of citizenship
and to have the laws construed literally in
favor of its exercise. it is those who have
fought for the government. Soldiers in the
regular service do not lose their right to
vote by entering the army. Nobody ques-
ice. either in the field or at home. To de-
prive the veterans at the Soldiers Home of
the right of voting would be to put them
beyond the pale of regular soldiers and vol
unteers in time of war and on an equality
with Indians, Chinese and criminals. The
narrow and technical grounds on which the
Democrats of Indiana are trying to defend
their contemplate action show that it has
no support in public policy or the prin-
ciples of republican government.
The action of the Supreme Court setting
aside the order for oral argument on the
9th inst. changes the status of the case,
but not the argument presented above I'm
der the present order of the court the case
may not come up before the election. but
the Democratic managers threaten to re-
new the suit in another court. The apph-
cation is for restraining order TO enjoin
the precinct election officers at Marion from
receiving the votes of the veterans. The
motion has already been denied by the
judge of the Circuit Court in Grant county,
but the Democrats are claiming they have
still another recourse. Their persistence
shows the animus of the movement, dis
reputable feature of which is that one of the
attorneys managing the suit against the
veterans is the Democratic candidate for
judge in the Grant Circuit. Altogether it
is disgraceful proceeding.
A SCHOOL IN NEED.
Many people who keep watch of the edu-