Soldiers Voting

Our exceedingly [veracious] contemporary next door says, that in the Democratic Constitutional Convention of Illinois provided that soldiers should have the privilege of voting on the new constitution of that State; and also says the Democrats in the Ohio Legislature tried to do the same thing, but the Republicans wouldn’t allow it.  Now what are the facts?  The Illinois Convention, with only two dissenting voices, agreed to allow the soldiers to vote on the proposed constitution.  The Democratic commissioners appointed for the purpose, however, have fixed things so that the said soldiers have about as much real voice in the adoption of the new Constitution as the inhabitants of Kamtschatika.  In Ohio, the plan was opposed by both parties on the ground that there was no way to punish illegal voting.

The talk about two Democrats to one Republican in the army, has been proved to be the very reverse of truth so often that we should think even the Democrat would be ashamed of it.  Its repeated asseveration only shows the callousness of its editorial conscience.  It is probably trying to make itself believe so – not an uncommon thing with dealers in fiction.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Saturday Morning, May 10, 1862, p. 1