Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-11
EyRST VOTERS.

\ few days ago Major Mckinley ad-
dressed body of young men who Will
cast their first presidential vote i'm No
lcmber. He spoke to them in the sin
cere and patriotic vein that has charac-
trriZcd all his utterances telling them
that they were the hope of the commu-
rity. the state and the nation. He told
them that there is nothing in this world
that will serve them 50 well as good
character. clean in morals and in life.
referring to their enlistment under the
banner of the republican party, he SAID
that party represents the best hopes ana
aspirations Of the American people and
embraces within its doctrines and pur-
poses the honor of the country and the
greatest prosperity of the people. NJ
party ever had grander history, said
Ma for Mckinley. mo party ever did
more for mankind. ror liberty, for equal
ity and for the progress ana glory OF
the country" That party offers in its
record and its present high purpose the
strongest claim to the support of the in
tcllgcnt young men of the nation.
The men who will east their first pres
idential vote in November are numerous
enough to decide the result OF the men
who voted in 1892 about II million are
dead. Their places are taken by the
young men who have reached the voting
| age since 1892. The vote this year viii
be heavier. relatively, than four years
ago. 1t is estimated that it may reach
| 14.OOO,OOO. nearly 100000 being new
voterS-that is. young men who have
attained their majority since l&02, vot-
ers naturalized since that yaar ana men
who failed to vote then for lack of in
tercst. The important element is the
young voter who casts his first vote for
president. The total number of young
men who have attained the voting age
since 1882 is estimated to be not far
from 3,O00.OOO.
| On which side viii this great army
| of first voters array themselves in this
contest? VIII most of them be found
| on the side of national honor and na
tional credit, or will they east their first
| vote in Il presidential election for II
| policy that means public ana private
| reputation and national diShOnOr:
They have grown to manhood while thn
principles and policies for which the re
publican party stands have been in oper-
alton. They have seen with just pride the
| progress OF their country in wealth and
power and in the respect of the wCrld
! They have learned that what makes tha
name American honOrcd in every civil
! lied land is the fact that this govern
mcnt has always been faithful To its OBJ
| legations and met every just demand
| upon it fully and fairly. With ,his be
fore them. with the overwhelming evi-
| dence of the beneticent results of repub-
lican policy can these young men doubt
| for an instant where duty calls them?
/ 1t would be to discredit their intrlli-
gence, their integrity and their patriot
ism to think that very large majority
of them will not be found with the party
which proposes to uphold the national
| honor and to maintain the monetary
! system under which this country has
| realized its greatest progress and pros
| perity.
/ The young men OF today have high
| aspirations They desire to do right.
! They are as patriotic as were the men
of thirty-live years ago who went to the
| defense of the union and they are rs
! Jealous Of the honor ana integrity of the
country. They understand, far better
than many older men, the true character
of the present eXigency and they appre-
ciatc the appeal ii makes 10 their sense
Of honor and honesty ana 10 their love
of country They are not under the in
! fluence of deep-rooted partisan feeling,
which older men find it hard to resist.
and they can consider the question of
political duty free from the force of
party afIiliation.
/ We confidently believe that very
| large majority of the first voters will
J align themselves with the republican
party. They want to begin their associa.
ton with politics as honorable aud pa
uiotic men should begin, by supporting
that cause which means the mainte-
nance OF national honor, the support OF