River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-10-27

Republic to-day finds its young man
hood its most valuable asset. 1t IS quite
natural for both Of the great political
parties to make a maximum effort to IN
fupnce 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 probability that
these first voters may hold the balance
al power and actually decide the com
in4 election.
It is not always easy to reckon the
strength Of this vote accurately, hence
il offers a 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 IL
and 20, inclusive, as 2,959,801. In other
words, in round numbers, three million
voters These young men being at that
age ut that time, are all now eligible TO
cast their first vote for President. LII
addition, many thousand young men as
cmigrants have become citizens of the
United States since that time. Of course
a number 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
Ell States.
OF 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
10 that extent, of course, the votes Ill
the electoral college would not be intiu-
rnced either way, but how about the
effect of the first voters in the doubtful
States? Past experience shows that III
these States an increased suffrage III IA
vor 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
chat is Of supreme Importance. How will
il be cast? For Democracy, negation-
4 policy destructive of all that is good
ana obstructive of all that is progressive
ar shall it he for Roosevelt and Fair
banks, who represent the great construc-
tive business league in America known
as the Republican party?
Situation ana Young Mans Duty.
Ir it should so happen that two fam
lilies of distinction should seem to lay
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 ana
thoroughly His pride and self7lnterest
would compel him to cast his lot with
the one that showed the highest self
respect. the greatest personal ana ma
tfional pride. the best ability for doing
ho %
to benefit mankind; and above all. the
one that looked to the future with hope
and aspiration, with a view of meeting
Ell new conditions nobly and complete
~ as they might arise.
1t is the duty of every young Amerl'
can to perform this duty thoroughly in
connection with the two great political
parties that are asking his 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 re a shadow of a
doubt i'll his mind. after he has finished
the investigation, as to which way his
duty may lie. He should divest himself
OF hereditary bias and inclnations, he
should attempt to lift himself out of his
Immediate or present surroundings and
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
cumhent upon him. If he enters upon it
wrongly, lie not only stuhifes his own
usefulness and injects a germ of partial
failure into his own life but he fails most
misera bly, to measure up to one of the
highest opportunities ever youchsafed to
mankind. 1t is now too late i'll this pro-
gresSve age to allow personal preference
or any inclination Of our ancestors or
immediate forefathers to influence us in
A work which will affect the destinies
of mankind. 1t is a sacred privilege and
an act which affects nearly hundred
million people. Is there not cause for
pause?
Then as Americans, as the inhetitors
of all that is glorious and grand in the
history OF the greatest Republic on earth,
what can 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 any sane and conservativelym 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? lie finds that at every turn one
has been progressive. constructive, patri-
otic working for the general interests
and welfare of humanity. The other
has been a party OF negation, predicting
calamity, crying despair and prophesying
wreck and ruin of the government; stand
ing uniformly and perpetually as an OBJ
stacle and obstruction to all measures
calculated for the general good.
Party of Action.
Some of the accomplishments of the
Republican party may we'll be contrast
ed with the asinine acts and obstruction
tactics of the party of slavery, State
rights, secession, anti-expansion, free
trade and free silver. From the immor
tai Lincoln TO the illustrious Roosevelt
there is nothing but one long line of bril-
liant achievements OF the Republican