Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1849-09-27
which their government itself is founded


In such view, then, of the nature and extent of
this high power with which we are entrusted, how
censurable is that citizen who neglecs TO use it.
or, yet worse, use it against the interest of his
country! How criminally false to himself, to his
generation, and to posterity, when by the very
neglect, perhaps, TO employ his suffrage rightly,
great good to the state may be lost, great
evil imposed upon it. Too often, single vote
is lightly estimated, because, in itself, tappears
ndiferene and in any event, cannot be weighed
against man in the balance of either private or
public judgement. But, in government as abso-
uely elective as ours, there can be, perhaps, no
graver more pernicious political sin, than the
neglect or misuse Of a right SO widely operative
for good or for evil
Wherever as ina Democracy, the welfare of
all depends upon the right use by every one ofhis
prerogative Of suffrage, no man should presume
TO calculate the vals OF his vote in order to with
hold it. Every attempt to do SO, is at the risk Of
great injury. and is, therefore, great wrong to
his fellow citizens while it is obvious, that if
such practice should become general, the pub
lie affairs would be left at the mercy of the igno-
|
universally of the right, which, with some men,
appears to cheaper its value, should rather en-
hance it to the most respectable citizens, since
the faithful exercise of it by them is dhe best. il
not our only protection against its abuse by the
less virtuous and intelligent In state where
each citizen has direct voice in the PUBLIC af
fairs, and where the press scatters among al
= Lila froh oF
} the people, most men are, more or less, and al
should be, in certain sense, politicians. Fo
he who has voice in questions.o of public moment
: which, as it is wisely or unwsely expressed, ma
determine the fortunes of his country for veal o
for woe, should SO far inform himself Of the inter
ests upon which he is called to decide, as to bt
able to give his vote upon them soberly and intel
ligently. Il
Moreover, he should constantly bear in minc
that though to him, as possessing small or nc
personal stake at all in the public veal the ascen
dency Of one or another party, or the prevalence
of this or that policy in the government may bt
Indifferent yet that the happiness of the grea
majority of his ellow-citizens is involved in elec
tions in whchlis single voice may, by possibility
become controlling casting vote. And thus re
1 fecting, he should always feel himself under
: solemn obligation TO vote wisely and with the ut
: most freedom from every corrupt or improper in
!. fluence. 81 90 ~ es7lF Iias3
Other and even stronger reasons might be urge
proof of the jealousy with which the great righ
2 of suffrage ought to be guarded, and the fdelt
1 with which it should be exercised i-aE sbia
y 3 I.
But enough has been said to convince ever
: one ofits Importance, and of the solemn obliga
: ton of public duty he is under to use ii, and
use it rightly. Let us hope, then, that every A
I merican citizen will value this right the chic
boon of free government, and that upon all occa
!. sions, when called to exert it, he will do so wit
8 as awful sense of responsibility as though h
knew and could see that upon his single voice de
pended the political fortunes ofihe Commonwealth
WIN S. FRICE
President of the Democratic Wing Association Of the Cit
\ ondC Co,r,t Of ophi p . =