, 1885-01-31
nALuors CAST soa PRESIDENT.


80. Louis pist-Dlspltsh.
Over a stretch OF territory Of 9,G05,
ss4 square niles reaching from the fro
zen straits Of BehT1ng In the far and
frigid northwest to the mild waters
which lap the tropical lagoons Of Florida
in the far southeast, and stretching from
the boisterous bay Of Fundy to where
Pacific tides roll high on Lon Lon Gle
mente, ruler was recently chosen.
Throughout this great empire. which II
you cut oh the Iberiam peninsula would
be as large as Europe, gentle rain Of
ballots was falling, falling, falling, fall
ing, amid the pines OF Maine and amid
the cactus plants Of Texas, falling whore
tho great grain fields Of the northwest
yellow richly in the summer; like trt-
mendous snow storm this dOwnpoar OF
votes were piling higher and higher as
the hours Of that day went by. The
millions Of ballots that were dropping in
every town and hamlet, had an
interest in themselves, aside from
the gigantic consequences they
arc achieving. These little bits Of paper,
that a breath OF wind would Whirl
away-that are so cheap, and coarse,
and rough--represent tho very soul and
genius Of the American idea. They
make very inmost montal process
whereby the race determines its tuture.
What Is Il that sWays the whole dosti-
nies Of America, that decides by an
Rrbitrament as high as Providence H.
self, the policy, the history, the destiny
Of the rcpubioi Simply some 900
pounds Of paper; simply some $40, 900
worth Of manufactured rags, trans
figured by words, baptized into a new
life by printers ink. Have you ever
wondered how many ballots went %
make the grand total Of an eleetioni
What was the material part Of this en-
tirely supra-material ceremony solemn
lied throughout America
Here are facts and figures not usually
appended to election returns The
history Of past elections teaches that
this vote Of the nation advances from
president to president by steps measured
In numbers BY 10 rer cent. The total
vote Of 1868 was 5,72i, ,654; Of 1879,
was 3, ,465, ,s02; Of 1879, was s,41e, 1888;
Of 1880; was 0,210,97O. Add 10 per
cent. to this last total and the estimate
for the vote go ng into the ballot boxes on
presidential election day will be 10, 312,-
0B7, an approximation borne out by
other calculations, and which will be
found not far out Of the result. A
ballot is piece Of paper averaging four
inches wide and ten aud a half long. One
hundred and fifty ballots will weigh
about a pound. Two hundred and fifty
ballots laid on each other will measure
about an inch. To prepare these bits
Of paper at a reasonable profit costs 90
per cents / 900. If the ballots cast the
othor day were placed end to end they
would reach in a continuous line from
Washington, ID. c., 10 Fl Paso, in
Texas, OF they would stretch from East
port. Me-, to New Orleans, as tie crow
lies II one end Of the long line Of
paper were made fast at Cape Flattry,
the extreme northwestern promontory
Of Washington territory, the other end
would pass Kansas City.
This has 70 do only with the ballots
actually voted. The numoer Of ballots
printed, Of course, is Tremendously
larger than the amount voted. In st.
Louis, for instance, the Democrats have
had 800, 900, the other parties in all
70O, 900, making for this one town a
N9tNA VI AraNNfoNN. II n ktudIAAll dA-
mitted, however, that the vote OF St.
Louis will not, at the outside, make
more thsn $4,000. Here, then, is a sur
plus Of twenty-six ballots for each one
cast. This makes the total Of ballots
offered to the people throughout Amer
ioa at this election 2e0, 900, 900
It would require eighty-fve freight |
cars to move this load Of paper, whose
weight is / ,7l6, 900 pounds The white
paper and the printing Of the mass has
cost el3 1000. Pasted end TO end there
would be paper enough to go entirely
around the globe, leaving lS,0 ,0oO miles
10 spare for q gigantic double bow knot,
which w)uld cover tbs greatest part Of
the two Americas, or Il one preferred
to keep the string in the United States,
there would be miles enough to wrap
the streamer thirty-nine times around !
the state Of Missouri and still leave
enough to reach from The ost- Dispatch |
building to Governor Cleveland's private
oahce in the state house at Albany.