Iron County register., 1904-03-03
INVESTIGATE THE ISSUES.
A Sovereign Duty of Every Young
Man When He Casts His
First Ballot.


Young men, who will cast their first
vote at the coming national election,
should investigate the fundamental doc
trines that divide the two great political
campaign will be decided In this way
they can arrive at the proper way to per-
form the highest prerogative of an
American citizen. The greatest right,
in democratic-republic like ours, is the
ballot. The poor man or the rich one,
The first voter or the most accomplished
statesman in the land, are all equal be-
.Ore the law and are sovereign voters.
Not only is the act of voting the highest
political function, but it involves the
greatest responsibility. A few votes
often turn the scale in close states and
political districts, so no voter must
Imagine that his ballot is not of conse-
quence, as he may decide issues of
transcendent importance and elect can
diGates for the highest Offices who will
have the executive power placed in their
hands. After the election is over the
voters have transferred their power to
those whom they have elected to repre-
sent them and the individual voter Is
powerless until the next election oc-
ours.
Amongst the great issues that will be
decided at the coming national election
is one that should appeal to young vot-
ers with irresistible force. The question
Of the protective tariff and the control
of the trusts affects the pocketbook OF
every voter and must be decided as in
terest dictates. Other issues may be set
| tied upon patriotic or humanitarian
grounds, but the indirect taxation of the
tariff and its acknowledged fostering
of trusts is fast breaking down that good
old democratic doctrine of equal rights
to all and special privileges to none"
If the young voter is the son of trust
magnate or one who has, through some
special privilege, become monopolist,
he may be expected to follow in his
fathers footsteps and vote to continue
a system that allows enormous fortunes
to be created at the expense of the great
majority.
But where there is one such child
of fortune, there are thousands who are
children of the poor, and the young voter
who has nothing, or but little, but his
own exertions to provide living for
himself and those dependent upon him,
must view with dismay trust prices and
increased cost of living. How much
more must it set him thinking if he finds
the avenues of employment lessening
and the standard of wages decreasing
living.
Does any well informed young man
doubt that the trust and monopoly
breeding tariff is an issue that is of the
utmost interest for him to investigate
and see how it affects his prospects in
life? Does he see fair share of the
vast wealth of the country flowing to
those who create it, or does he notice
and the comparatively few individuals
who control them?
The position of the two great parties
on economic questions must be an issue
and perhaps paramount, in the absence
of war or other great events that so sti1
mems souls that they forget their pock-
etbooks. The young voter must, to vote
with intelligence, investigate the evil
dence on both sides and decide who will
represent him most effectually in secur-
ing equal rights" and prevent the IA
vored few from obtaining or keeping
special privileges"
There must be no objection to riches
or the rich man, if his riches have been
obtained equitably. Neither must Dives
be worshiped, and above all the young
voter must keep at a safe distance the
vote buyer. Your vote is as valuable
as that of Rockefeller, it counts for as
much, and no money value can be placed
upon it; its value is beyond computa.
! ton.