The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-11-09
VALUE OF a stxGt.E VOTE,

A Majority Of Doe Vote ThIt Decided I'm.
portrait Events Ia American HlStOry.
somettinE Worth Remembering.
A dispatch from Indianapolis 70 the
New York Sun says that Chairman
Taesart, Of the Democratic state COM
nit,ee Of Indiana, recently sent out a
circular to ali voters, which con-
tanned an interesting bit oil In
diana history Of the Mexican war
period, WhiSh was intended 10 remind
Democrats Of the Importance q single
vote might have in tho election. Each
voter Is reminded that his individual
vote may decide g:eat events, just as one
vote did in 1874. In that year, one vote
cast in Switzerland county cot q tre-
mendous figure in national affairs.
David Kelso was the Democratic
candidate for state senator in Swiizer-
land county, aud David Hanery was
running on the Wing ticket Some
time before the election there had been
a sensational shooting in the county,
one young man Staying false friend
who had betrayed him IN love affair.
Kelso defended and saved the prisoner,
who. though poor In purse, was rich In
gratitude, and promised that no would
spare no pains 10 repay the valuable
services Kolso had rendered him. kel-
SOS client was In bed with dangerous
fever when election day came, but,
against the protests Of the physicians,
he announced his purpose OF going 10
the polls in an iuprovised ambulance.
1t was two miles to the voting place:
The bed, with the patient, was placed
on o wagon and driven TO the polls.
When he arrived he was too weak to get
up, but he had the satisfaction OF see.
ing his ballot deposited. Then he went
home and died. The official count
showed that Kelso was victorious by
just one vote.
Then chain Of singular evonts be-
gan. 1t devoIved on the senate to
which Kelso was elected TO choose a
United States senator. The Democrats
had a meagre majority Of the two
branches OF the legislature. Tllman a.
Howard, Wing, and Oliver Smith. DEM
ocrat, were the regular candidates:
Kelso bolted the Democratic caucus and
announced that he would not vote for
Smith under any circumstances. Ho
brought over TO his side another DEM
ocrat named Hoover. and for many
days and weeks the balloting went on,
always with this result: Howard "a,
Smith "a. Haunigan .. seventy-six
votes were necessary TO elect Edward
A. Hannigan was brilliant young law
yer and Kelso selected him as his can
didate without consulting him in the
beginning OF the long struggle. The
greater the efforts to bring Kelso over
to tue Smith side the more stubborn he
became. Finally he announced that
tho farce had to end, that he would
cast his vote for the Wings il the DEM
ocrats did not come to terms. The
Democratic caucus was reconvened,
and Hannigan was made the party can
didate and was elected United States
senator tho following day.
GA fierce controversy took place in the
United States senate the next year over
tho admission Of Texas into the Union.
Her admission was finally secured by q
majority OF one vote, and that one vote
was cast by Hannigau. Smith had pre-
viously promised that he would vote
against admitting the state If no were
elected. Thus the vote cast up in the
wooded hills OF Switzerland county by q
dying man led up to the admission Of
Texas into the sisterhood of states.
From this vote also resulted the war be-
tween tho United States and Mexico.