Milford chronicle., 1904-11-04
VALUE OF ONE VOTE.
1t May Decide the Presidency or the
Control of Congress.

Control of Congress.
The apathetic Republican who thinks
his vote will not be necessary should
read the following, written by ROderick
Corwin:
Il have only one vote. What differ
ence does it make if 1 use it or not?
There will be no change in the result be
cause l do not 90 to the polls. This is
the most frequent form of excuse with
which careless OF indolent citizens soothe
their consciences on election day.
"Of course the excuse carries its own
refutation with it. II everybody thought
and acted thus, there would be no elec-
tion at all. But, moreover there have
been many cases known in this country
when a single vote not merely on the
bench, or in the legislative hall. but even
at the polling booth, where it would ap-
pear that its individuality would be com
pletely lost. has decided the fate of great
men and important causes.
I'm the gubernatorial campaign in
Massachusetts in November, 1880 Mar
Gus Morton defeated Edward Everett
by a single vote in n total poll of 100.G22
This defeat interrupted the hitherto tri
umphant political career OF Everett, and
withdrew him from the field Of possible
presidential candidates, until 1860. when
he reluctantly consented to run as vice
presidential nominee on the ticket head
ed by John Bell and was showed out Of
sight
The famous Tom Corwia, United
States Senator from and Governor of
Ohio, was fond of telling the following
story:
In the spring Of 1911. at the annual
election in Rhode Island. there was
town precinct closely contested by the
federal and the Republican (the peace
and war; parties. A federal farmer, hur- |
rying down to vote just before closing |
time, was stopped on the way by finding |
one Of his valuable pigs fast between |
the planks of a fence. He tried to pull |
the pig out, and failed. Then with some |
he pried away one of the |
planks, released the pig. and started on
a run for the voting place. just as he |
got within a hundred fee " it the town |
clock struck six. The polls closed with
out his vote. The result was that a war
from that town was elect
ed by one vote.
when the General Assembly met a
few weeks later a War Senator was
chosen by one majority on joint ballot
In 1912 the declaration of war against
England was carried in the United States
Senate by one vote Gen. Jackson was
nominated as a major general aud con
irmed by one vote, Jan. s, 1915. He
the army at the battle of
New Orleans, won great victory. be-
anne a popular military hero. was elect
ii and reelected President of the United
States, turned all the Wings out of Office,
emoved all the deposits from the nation
Il banks, vetoed the bill. aud PLAYED
zig away up in Rhode Island got fast in
plank fence
"In the more limited area of Congress
single vote has frequently lost or {
arried an important measure. In 1868
ne vote transferred from the nineteen t
egatives to the thirty-fiYe Alternatives $
n the Andrew johnson impeachment (
ase would have given the Presidents
nemies the two-thirds majority neces-
ary for conviction and removal. In !
St6 the revenue reform or free trade"
1ritf. an act of the greatest financial l
was carried by the casting
0ta Of Vice President George NJ. Dal-
IS. who had at one time pledged him /
ELF against it. But the Importance Of
ne vote was never more signally demon l
-rated than in 1901.
Suppose that just one of the seventy
iree presidential electors who declared I,
IT both Jefferson and Burr had cast for 1
else the vote he gave to JEFF =
,rson? There would have been no tie. :
le election would not have been trans
lrred to the House Of Representatives j
i'd Aaron Burr and not Thomas Jeffer- 10
N would have been President Of the ].
nited States" 4 e
Have Fo-..,ou,,.