The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-10-26

natural for both of the great political
parties to make a maximum effort to in
fluence the first vote of the young men
of the country. The young man is now
one Of the most important and most
sought individuals in the Republic. 1t is
not beyond the range of bility that
these first voters may hold the balance
OF power and actually decide the COM
ing election.
1t is not always easy to reckon the
strength of this vote accurately, hence
it offers fertile field for speculation.
The United States census of 1900 gives
the total male population of the United
States in 1900 between the ages Of II
and 20, inclusive as 2,959,S01 In other
words, in round numbers, three million
voters. These young men being at that
age at that time, are all now eligible to
cast their first vote for President. In
addition, many thousand young men as
emigrants have become citizens of the
United States since that time. Of course
4 iiginber have also died. 1t may not be
very far wrong to conclude that there are
safely between three and three and
half million first voters now in the Unit
ed States.
or course, there is no accurate way of
knowing just how these votes are pro-
rated to the different States. 1t is doubt
less true that the safely Democratic
States and the safely Republican States
have something of similar quota, and
to that extent, of course, the votes in
the electoral college would not be inf1u
enced either way, but how about the
effect of the first voters in the doubtful
States? Past experience shows that in
these States an increased suffrage in IA
yor of one party or the other from l
10 4 per cent. may change the results
and mark defeat or victory for either
party.
1t Is this first vote in doubtful States
that is of supreme Importance. How will
1t be cast? For Democracy, negation-
policy destructive of all that is good
and obstructive of all that is progressive.
or shall it be for Roosevelt and Fair
banks, who represent the great construc-
tive business league in America known
as the Republican party?
Situation and Young Mans Duty.
If it should so happen that two fam
lilies of distinction should seem to lay
equal claim to any young man. and If it
should be left to him to decide as to
which one he might cast his lot with, he
would naturally look into the history of
both families intelligently, diligently and
thoroughly His pride and self-interest
would compel him to cast his lot with
the one that showed the highest self
respect the greatest personal and ma
aional pride, the best ability for doing
things that ought to be done, calculated
to benefit mankind; and above all. the
one that looked to the future with hope
and aspiration, with a view of meeting
I'll new conditions nobly and complete
~ as they might arise.
1t is the duty of every young Ameri
can to perform this duty thoroughly in
connection with the two great political
parties that are asking hls first vote on
the issues of the present campaign. He
will find the work not only instructive,
but if he investigates the records thor
oughly, there cannot De shadow of a
doubt in his mind, after he has finished
the yestigation, as to which way his
duty may lie. He should divest himself
of hereditary bias and inclina tons, he
should attempt to lift himself out Of has
Immediate or present surroundings and
divorce himself, for the nonce. from all
social or family ties and investigate the
thing for himself.
Parting of the Ways.
This duty is one of the weightiest
that the generations of progress and the
blood of his ancestors have made in
cumbent upon him. If he enters upon it
wrongly, he not only stulti6es his own
usefulness and injects a germ of partial
failure into his own life, but he fails most
miserably to measure up to one of the
highest opportunities ever vouchsafed to
mankind. 1t is now too late in this pro-
gressive age to allow personal preference
or any inclination of our ancestors OF
s,a, in
q work which will affect the destinies
of mankind. 1t is sacred privilege and
an act which affects nearly hundred
million people. Is there not cause fol
pause?
Then as Americans, as the inheritors
of all that is glorious and grand in the
history of the greatest Republic On earth
what can a young man find in the Demo
cratic party's record that would appea
to his pride, his patriotism, his sense OF
duty or his idea of intelligent citizenship
All any sane and conservatively- mindet
young man has to do is to simply com
pare the records of the two parties fol
the last half century. What does h,
find? He finds that at every turn on,
6as been progressive, constructive, patri
otto; working for the general interests
and welfare of humanity. The othe
has been a party of negation, predictin,
calamity, crying despair and prophesyinl
wreck and ruin of the government; stand
ing uniformly and perpetually as an oh
stacle and obstruction to all measure
calculated for the general good.
Party of Action.
Some of the accomplishments Of tn
Republican party may well be contrast
ed with the asinine acts and obstructio
tactics of the party of slavery, Stat
rights, secession, anti-expanson. FIRE
trade and free silver. From the immol
tai Lncoln to the illustrious Roosevelt
there IS nothing but one long line OF bri