Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-11-03
VALUE OF ONE VOTE.
it May Decide the Presidency or the
Control of Congress.

The apathetic Republican who thinks
his vote will not be necessary should
read the following, written by Roderick
Corwin:
II have only one vote. What differ
ence does it make if | use it or not
There will be no change in the result be-
cause | do not go to the polls. This is
the most frequent form of excuse with
which careless or indolent citizens soothe
their consciences on election day.
"Of course the excuse carries it's own
refutation with it, If everybody thought
and acted thus. there would be no cleo
ton at all But, moreover, there have
been many cases known in this country
when single vote not merely on the
bench or in the legislative hail. but even
at the polling booth, where it would APP
pear that its individuality would be com
| pletely lost, has decided the fate of great
! men and important causes.
In the gubernatoral campaign in
Massachusetts in November. 1899, Mar
Gus Morton defeated Edward Everett
by single vote in total poll of 100,622.
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 Corwin, United
States Senator from and Governor of
Ohio. was fond of telling the following
story:
In the spring of 1871. at the annual
| election in Rhode Island, there was
town precinct closely contested by the
| federal and the Republican (the peace
| and war; parties. \ 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 fence. He tried to pull
the pig out. and failed. Then with some
difficulty 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 feet of it the town
clock struck six. The polls closed with
out his vote. The result was that war
, representative from that town was elect
| ed by one vote.
when the General Assembly met a
| few weeks later 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 major general and CON
| frmed 10y one vote Jan. s, 1915. He
commanded the army ut the battle of
| New Orleans, won Il great victory. be-
| came a popular military hero. was elect
ell and re elected President OF the United
/ States. turned all the Wings out Of ofticc.
removed all the deposits from the nation
al banks vetoed the bill. aud played
havoc generally, and all because that
pig away up in Rhode Island got fast in
plank fence.
In the more limited area of Congress
single vote has frequently lost or
| carried an Important measure In 1865
one vote transferred from the nineteen
negatives TO the thirty-five alternatives
in the Andrew Johnson Impeachment
/ case would have given the Presidents
enemies the two-thirds majority ueces-
Sary fcT conviction and removal. In
! 1916 the revenue reform or free trade"
| tariff. an act of the greatest financial
| significance. was carried by the casting
vote 81 Vice President George VI. Dali
las, who had AZ one time pledged him
self against IL, But the Importance of
| one vote was never more signally demon
Strated than in 1901.
, Suppose that just one Of the seventy
| three presidential electors who declared
for both Jefferson and Burr had cast for
somebody else the vote he gave To JEFF
ferson! There would have been no tie.
! the election would not have been trans
ferred to the House Of Representatives.
and Aaron Burr and not Thomas Jeffer-
son would have been President of the
United States