Rocky Ford enterprise., 1904-10-28

Republic to-day finds its young NAH
hood its most valuable asst. II Is quits
saturai for both Of the Erea, political
parties TO make q MAXIMUM effort To In
auenre the iirss vote OF the young m~n
OF the country. The yOun. man 10 now
one Of the most important and most
sought individuals In the R~pablIe. IL Is
not beyond the range OF probability that
these irst voters may bold the balance
Of power and actually decide the eoni'
isS ei~ctIon-
II IL not AWAY, easy TO reckon the
strength Of shis vote accurately. hence
Il offers Q fertile Held for speculation.
The UnIsed States census Of 1900 gives
she sssai male population OF the United
States In 1900 between tho ages OF II
and 20. Inclusive. as :.05o. sol. In other
words. In round numbers. three million
yOsers. These youns men being nt that
age at that Siiae. are all now eligible 10
cast their 6rst vote for Pr~sideus- In
additisa. many thousand yoans mcn as
smisfanss have become citizens Of the
United States since that dine. OF course
Q oumbes have also died. IL may not be
vssy far wrong 10 conclude that there are
safely between three and three and
half million hrst voters now In the Unit
ID States.
OF course, there is no accurate way Of
knowing lust how these votes are pro-
rated 10 the different States. IL IL doubt.
leas true that the safely Democratic
States and the safely Republican States
have sousethlng Of . similar quota. and
Co thst extent, of course. the votes In
che eleceorai college would not be innu.
sneed either way, but bow about the
eject Of the 6rss voters In the doubtful
Ssatss1 Pase experience shows that In
shsss States an increased suffrage In ia.
voe Of oos party OF the other from
60 { Per cent. may change the results
and mark defeat or victory for either
oarty.
Il 10 this Arss vote in doubtful States
chat 10 Of supreme Importance. How will
4 b eassf For Democracy. ncsation-
q pelIey destructive Of all that IL good
anJ Obstructive Of all that II progressive.
or shaii Il Be for Roosevelt and Fair
banhs, who represent the great construc-
Sive bu.inesa league In America known
ss che Republican partyf
Oissstioa aaA Yoass Maa's Daty.
II Il should % happen that two fam.
llies Of distinction should secm 60 lay
equal claim to any young man. aud if u
should be lefs to him to decide ms TO
which one be might cast his lot with. he
would naturally look into the history OF
both families intellisently, diligently and
thoroughly. His pride and sclf-intcrcst
would compel him to cast his lot with
che one that showed the highest self
respect, the greatest personal and na-
eional pride, the best ability for doing
things that ought to be done. calculated
@ benefit mankind: and above all. the
one that looked TO the future with hope
and aspiration, with a view of meeting
IN new conditions nobly aud complete
" a. they might arise.
Il In the duty of every young Amcri.
can to perform this duty thoroughly In
connection with the two great political
parties that are asking his first vote on
She Issues Of tho present campaign. He
will find the work not only instructive,
but II he investigates the records thor
uuEhly, there cannot We shadow OF
doubt In his mind, after he has finished
che investigation. as to which way his
duty may lie. He should divcst himself
of hereditary bias and inclinntions. he
should attempt 10 lift himself out OF his
immediate or present surroundings and
divorce himself, for the nonce. from all
social or family ties and investigate the
ching for himself.
Parting Of the wnys.
This duty is one of the weighticst
blood of his ancestors have made in
cumbent upon him. II he enters upon it
wrongly, he not only stutifes his own
usefulness and injects n germ of partial
failure into his own life, but he fails most
miserably to measure up to one of the
highest opportunities ever vonchsnfe fed to
mankind. It Is now too late in this pro-
gressive age to allow personal preference
or any inclination of our ancestors or
immediate forefathcrs to influence us in
Q work which will affect the destinies
Of mankind. 1t is a sacred privilege and
an net which affects nearly hundred
million people. Is there not cause for
pause?
Then as Americans, rs the inheritors
of all that Is glorious and grand in the
history of the greatest Republic on earth,
what eau young man find In the Demo
cratic party's record that would appeal
to his pride. his patriotism, his sense of
duty or his idea of intelligent citizenship?
All my sane and conservatively- minded
young man has to do is to simply COM
pare the records OF the two parties for
the last half century. What does he
find? He finds that at every turn one
Qias been progressive, constructive. pItri-
otic; working for the general interests
md welfare OF humanity. The other
mas Deen party OF nesauon, preulc1lnS
calamity. crying despair and prophesying
wreck and ruin of the government: stand
ing uniformly and perpetually rs an OBJ
stacle and obstruction to all measures
calculated for tho general good.
Party of Action.
Some of the Accomplishments of the
Republican party may well be contrast
ed with the asi>inc acts and obstruction
tnctics OF the sarty of slavery. State
Fights, secession, anti-expansion. free
trade and free silver. From the imn,or-
tal Lincoln to the illustrious Roosevelt
there is nothing but one long line of brl-
Liant achievements Of the Republican