The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-14

Can you pilot me over that date?"
81 hope So"
"That amt answering my question;
can you do it?''
"'rhe most that I can promise is to
use my best efforts; you may drop off
before that time and you may lingeF
for several weeks-no, days"
II don't care for a. single day beyond
election; what l want and will have Is
the strength to ride to the polls at next
election, You understand why?" asked
the patient, with wan grin. The doe
tor nodded without speaking.
A few years before the sufferer was
invovled in a serimmage in which he
killed another man. He was placed on
trial and the evidence would have
convicted him but for the skill of his
counsel. Daniel Kelso, who brought
about his acquittal. Kelso was now
the Democratic candidate for the state
Senate of Indiana, in one of the clos
est districts in the country. He could
not afford to throw away a. single vote,
and this man, dying with consump-
ton, was determined to live long
enough to cast his ballot for the law
yer who had saved him from a dis
graceful death.
And he did it, II was a striking ex-
ample of the triumph of will over bod
lily weakness. Swathed in blankets,
the wasted skeleton was lifted into
carriage, driven slowly for several
miles on a chilly day to the polls,
where he was tenderly lifted out and
helped forward to deposit his vote. The
sympathetic hystanders cheered the
poor fellow, who was taken back to
his humble home, where he collapsed
and lived but a few hours.
That single vote elected Daniel KEEL
so state senator from Switzerland
county, Indiana--a fact which appears
in the official records of the year lS43.
The burning question at that time
before the county was the admission
of Texas into the Union. The South
favored 1t.
Our neighbor was determined to OBJ
tain possession of Texas and would not
agree to the boundary line claimed by
| her, in which claim she was upheld by
| the United States. Texas contended
that she owned the territory as far
south as the Rio Grande. while Mex
leo maintained that her ownership
ceased at the Neuces. Many unpreJu-
diced persons claimed that, at best the
admission of Texas would prove of
doubtful advantage, since the word
Texas" was only Taxes" with the
letters In different positions. 1t may
ne well W NIUE ItGIC liiU hdlA-lOHSOttCi
legend that, after Texas became ours,
cur government asked Mexico to name
the bonus which she would accept for
taking her back, and Mexico shook her
head and replied, May, nay" But that
was joke.
The Legislature to which Daniel Kel-
so was elected was called upon to
choose a United States senator. The
regular Democratic candidate announ-
ced himself as opposed to the admission
of Texas This so exasperated Kelso
that he bounced out of the caucus
taking with him a friend. and swore
that he would hold out till the crack
of doom before casting a vote for the
disloyai candidate, his friend standing
by him.
Their action deadlocked the Legisla-
ture which met day after day, only 20
adjourn without accomplishing any
thing by its balloting. 1t may be i'm
agined what a lively time Kelso and
his comrade had. and what means was
taken to whip them into line, They
were threatened, promised cajoled, ar
gued with, smiled, scowled upon and
even threatened with personal violence,
but both stood like rock.
Gentlemen" finally said Kelso, with
compressed lips, 1--WE are all anxious to
perform our constitutional duty-that
Of eieeting a United States senator;
and there is one single way and only
one by which it can be brought about.
Edward A. Iannigan represents cur
views and is a sound Democrat; The
choice must be either he or the Wing
candidate"
The situation was precisely as stated
by Keiso Edward Hannigan took his
seat in Congress just in time to vote
on the Texas question. The bill for The
admission of Texas passed the Senate
by single vote and that was cast by
Hannigan. That such action would
have been taken ultimately by Con-
gress was part of the logic Of events.
but had Hannigan voted the other way
the measure would have failed for the
time being. It is therefore an historical
fact that the vote of dying man in
the backwoods of Indiana brought on
the war with Mexico.