The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-18
WHAT ONE VOTE DID.
Ballot Cast by a Dying Man
 Brought on War With Mexico.

| Los Angeles Times.
 | Victor Hugo said that few drops more
 or less of rain would have changed the result at Waterloo and transformed the | map of Europe. It is in the nature Of | events that the most momentouS conse- | quences follow trifng causes. and no | human brain can forecast what would | flow from modification in the plans of se- | nius. which of themselves apparently have scarce a feathers weight. Something like sixty years ago a man lay dying in a cabin in the backw pods of Indiana. His physician had pro- noInced his doom and the victim knew there was no escaping 1t. though his aii- n1ent was that lnsidious, deceptive dis ease, consumption.
 Its all right" said this psilid sufferer in his raspng, husky voice; I'm close to
 the Divide, and nothing can stop me from crossing over. but you must keep things going for-say. doctor. how far off Is election ?'-weakly turning his head and fixing his unnaturally bright eyes upon his attendant.
 Gan you plot me over. that date?' 'I hope so.
 That aint answering my question; can you do it?"
 Tho most that can promise is to use
 my best efforts; you may drop off before 1 that time and you may finger for several weeks-no. days"
 q don't care for single day beyond oleoticn; what I want and will have Is 1 the strength to ride to the polls at next | election. You understand why?" asked l tho patient with a wan grin. The doctor
 nodded without speaking.
 A few years before the sufferer was involved in a scrimmage in which he killed another man. He WAS placed on | trial and the evidence would have con- victed him but for the skill of his coun- sel. Daniel Kelso who brought about his acduittal. kelso was now the Demo- cratic candidate for the State Senate of | indiana. in one of the closest districts in the country. He could not afford to throw away a single vote, and this man, dying with consumption. was determined to live l long enough to cast his ballot for the lawyer who had saved him from dis i graceful death.
 And he did it. It was a striking exam | pie of the triumph of will over bodily | weakness. Swathed in blankets. the | wasted skeleton was lifted into car rlage driven slowly for several miles on | E. chilly day to the polls, where he was l tenderly lifted out and helped forward to deposit his vote. The sympathetic by
 islanders cheered the poor fellow, who
 where he collapsed and lived but few hours.
 That single vote elected Daniel Kelso State Senator from Switzerland County, ciai records of the year lS43. The burning question at that time be- l fore the county was the admission of Texas into the Union The South favored Our neighbor was determined to obtain possession of Texas and would not agree | 10 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 1 Rio Grande. while Mexico maintained
 that her ownership ceased at the Neuees Many uapretudiced persons claimed thlt at best, the admission of Texas would prove of doubtful advantage. since the word Texas was only Taxes" with