River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-11-03
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 l use it or not?
There will be no change in the result be-
cause l do not go to the polls. This is
the most frequent form of excuse with
which careless or indolent citizens soot1he
their consciences on election day.
s'Of course the excuse carries its 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 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.
SIN the gubernatorial campaign in
Massachusetts in November, 1889. Mar
Gus Morton defeated Edward Everett
by a single vote in total poll of lOO,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 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
difficulty he pried away one of the
planks, released the pig, and started on
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 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 and con-
irmed by one vote. Jan. 8, 1915. He
commanded the army at the battle of
New Orleans, won a great victory, be-
came a popular military hero, was elect
ed and reelected President of the United
States. turned all the Wings out of Office,
removed all the deposits from the nation
al banks, vetoed the bill, and played
havoc generally, and all because that
pig away up in Rhode Island got fast in
a plank fence.
SIN the more limited area Of Congress
single vote has frequently lost or
carried an important measure. IN 1868
one vote transferred from the nineteen
negatives to the, thirty-fve alternatives
in the Andrew Johnson impeachment
case would have given the Presidents
enemies the two-thirds majority neces-
sary for 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 of Vice President George NJ. Dali
las. who had at one time pledged him.
self against Il. But the Importance of
one vote was never more signally demon
strated chan 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
Perra5 n tho HouSa of RanraSnnta tivaS
and Aaron Burr and not Thomas Jeffer-
son would have been President of the
United States"