Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-06-09
To the Young Voters.

Many OF you will cast your first
vote this fall, and to have cast your
frs, vote for President to rule the
destn;es for four years of this great
country OF ours is an honor that goes
without saying. Il is important. there.
fore, to yourselves Individually, and
your country especially, that you make
no mistake in this matter. You must
belong to either one or the other Of
the two great political parties of this
country. Upon yourselves and you
alone must devolvc the selection wheth
er you will be known as a Democrat or
Republican.
You cannot treat this subject with in.
difference You cannot avoid il or
escape it II is TO the free indcpend
ent young voters that this country
looks for the upholding and mainte.
nance OF its principles and institutions.
Therefore it behooves you to act with
discretion and wisdom in the exercise
of your political suffrage. II will not
be for the moment that you act, but
for your lives. You cannot be Of one
party to day and of the other to- NOR.
row. You must be firm in your con.
victions, s,eadfas, in your adherence
to the principles of the party whose
cause you espouse.
In making your selection you will
be aided by designing and false friends,
politicians, plotters and schemers Of
all grades and descretions. How your
father votes or voted. Your ancestors,
so far back that the mind of man run.
meth not 10 the contrar;. will be parad.
ed before you in solid phalanx as the
espousers Of this or that party in their
day and generation. How this and
that party, through species Of cvolu.
ton came down through the ages and
now presents themselves as the Demo.
cratic and Republican parties asking
for your suffrage. You are admonish-
ed against such influences. To say
that you are Democrat or a Repub.
lican because your father is or was
Democra, or Republican, or that
your best friend or friends are such, or
that your business interests require you
to belong to this or that party, is un.
manly.
Remember that your privilege to
vote marks your years of discretion
your right to think and act as you
please, without let or hindrance Yoa
are clothed with the nobility OF citi.
zenship When you cast your first
vote you have performed one OF the
most important acts Of your lives. DO
not mistake the effect Of the little pa.
per that you have deposi, in the ballo,
box. Upon it may rest great issues
involving the perpetuity Of principles
that have stood bulwarks Of your homes
and liberties.
You may rightly here ask, how are
we to be guided in this mat,erl From
what source shall we gain information
that shall enable US to determine this
question : The MESSENGER answers /:
Read, reflect. Turn to history, follow
the course and acts Of these two great
political parties. The newspapers will
furnish abundant food for your diges
ton. The newspapers are the great
educators Of the day. In them we
live, act and have our being. Through
them We speak to one another across
seas and continents. They stand the
untiring ever wakeiul guards Of the
liberties OF the people. Again, study
the constitution Of your country, en-.
deavor to understand its fundamental
principles. Mark the lives Of the men
who have explained these principles
and given them form and life a. ex.
empli6ed in The growth, happiness and
prosperity Of this great country.
You are now in the living present.
You will lay down before you the
the platforms Of the two great poliii.
cal parties of to day. Study them
contrast them with the fundamental
law Of the land. and that platform that
seems in your judgement most consis.
tant with the constitution and needs
Of your country adopt without heSiia
ton or fear, aud upon u stand or fall.