The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-22
PLOT TO DISFRANCHISE
DISABLED VETERANS In THE MA
RION HOME THE VICTIMS.
The Supreme Court Asked to Give
Force to the Plot OF Turpie, Green
Smith and other Democrats.

The report that the plot Of the Democratic
managers to disfranchise the 900 veterans
in the United States Military Home at
Marion has reached the Supreme Court has
been carried to different parts of the State
by Republican newspapers and speakers
Upon the audiences before which allusion
was made to the matter during the last two
or three days the news of the Democratic
plot elected expressions of Indignation The
old veteran of 1S61-65 is yet numerous in the
land, and he has sons by the thousand who
are in full accord with the fathers and es-
TEEN themselves the heirs of their patriotic
record Of service which helped to save the
Union. The veterans up and down Indiana
know that large part Of the veterans in
the Marion home were comrades in the
same Indiana regiments. They know that
the home veterans maintain a Grand Army
post and camp Of the Union Veteran Lee
gion. Indiana veterans know that the old
men in the Marion home, moved by the
spirit of comradeship and regard for the
orphans of comrades. contributed last year
as much money to purchase Christmas pres
ents as half of the Grand Army posts in
the State The donation by the 1000 old
men at the home was so large that it called
forth enthusiastic comments in veteran cir
cles
These are the old men whom the Demo-
cratic managers in Indiana now ask the SUI
preme Court to deprive Of their right to
vote. The Marion home is their residence
their home. When most of them leave it
1t will be to be carried to the lot in which
the mounds and headstones are rapidly in
creasing with passing months. Few days
pass that one is not carried thither by his
comrades But for this home many of them,
broken with disease or crippled with
wounds-the scars of which should entitle
the bearers to every honor that a grateful
people can confer-would have been in the
poorhouses long ago. Close the home, and
they would be beggared wanderers upon the
face of the earth. not even possessing
pauper's residence elsewhere. No wonder
that the few audiences that have heard of
this conspiracy to deprive these men of the
right to vote were indignant.
The story is an interesting one. Since the
establishment of the United States homes
the voting Of the soldiers in them has been
discussed. In Ohio, at the large home at
Dayton. no objection was made to the vot-
ing of those who lived there, so long ss the
votes were about evenly divided between
the two parties In recent years a large
preponderance of the soldiers in the Dayton
home, as elsewhere, have voted with the
Republicans. When the Democrats in Ohio
found this out they determined to disfran-
chise the veterans. They brought suit,
basing 1t upon the ground that the land
upon which the Dayton home stood was
federal territory and that men living in fed
eral territory, over which Ohio has no juris-
diction, had no legal right to vote. The SUI
preme Court of Ohio sustained this conten-
ton. and the veterans were DISTINGUISHED.
Thereupon friends of the veterans went to
Congress and secured legislation ceding
back to Ohio full jurisdiction over the land
upon which the Dayton home stands. Then
man guilty of an infraction of the laws
of Ohio could be arrested on the grounds
and tried under state laws. The Democrats
carried this law to the Supreme Court of
Ohio, and that tribunal rendered decision
sustaining the right Of the veterans in the
Dayton home to vote because the territory
was under the jurisdiction of the State
HOSTILITY OF SENATOR TURPIE.
The Democrats, in recent years, have been
hostile to the voting of the veterans at the
Marion home, particularly since ninety of
every one hundred have been voting with
the Republicans. Making loud threats in
Grant county of what they would do, Mai.
Steele, who Is a member of the board of
managers of all the homes, and a repre-
sentative in Congress, came to the conclu-
sion that he would forestall the Democratic
managers in that county. To this end he
secured the passage in the House of bill
precisely like that which was enacted in re-
gard to the Dayton home. When it came
to the Senate Senator Turpie, in a body
with free-silver and Populist majority
was able to defeat it. 1t is reported that
the statesman of the fossiiiferous period
was greatly delighted with his success,
which was that he had killed the bill which
made sure the voting right of 1900 men in
the Marion home.
Major Steele said not a word. but when
the appropriation bill making provision for
the support of the home was in the hands of
conference committee. ne induced it to
insert, as a clause thereto, the bill which
came law. When the master of all the
dead languages learned what had been done
by Steele he got out his bottle of poison
and opened his box of rattlesnakes but 10
no purpose. The thing was done, and could
not be undone.
When the Democratic managers In Grant
county learned of Major Steeqe's achieve
ment they were furious; soon, however
they were told to ask the Circuit Court to
enjoin the precinct election officers from re-
ceiving the votes of the veterans. Two To-
cal henchmen were found who were willing
to sign a petition for such an Injunction
while the attorney for the enemies of the
veterans is the Democratic candidate for
circuit judge in the Grant circuit. They
took the case into the Circuit Court. The
Hon. Frank b. Burke, the ablest Demo-
cratic lawyer in the State, representing the
Democratic committee, it is said, had part
in this shameless conspiracy to disfranchise
the veterans. The judge. after a hearing
refused to grant the injunction asked for
Thereupon the veterans foes took an APP
peal to the Supreme Court, which is now
asked to issue the injunction to set aside an
act of Congress declared to be consttu-
tional in Ohio
THE CASE AND THE COURT