The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-05
The Value of Your Vote.

Congressman Hepburn, who spoke IN
this city Tuesday night, related two in
cidents which are worth repeating as an
argument why every man should do
his political duty on election day.
General Apathy is one of the most
efficient commanders Of the forces that
operate against good government. The
man who is busy and selfish often neg
lects his political responsibilities and
satisfies his conscience with the plea
that he has only one vote and it won t
be missed. If only one Individual
acted upon that principle probably the
consequences would not be serious, very
often. The trouble is so many act
upon the same theory that the conse-
quences are serious. But sometimes
they are serious when there is not one
vote involved. Mr. Hepburn reclted
| two instances. He said:
| Once early in the forties, man in New
Jersey started to the polls on election day
| a little late. BY doing a kind act for a
neighbor the way he got to the polls
! too late to vote. A member of the leg1s-
lature, to whom he was opposed, was
| AAAS
one vote, decided a close election OF a
United States senator. The United States
senator voted for the tariff Of 1916, which
put this country back many years in the
race of progress. That senator also voteo
| for the resolution declaring war with
Mexico before war existed, and the
declaration was passed by one vote, as
the tariff bill was. And so 1t happened
that all the dishonpr that came to tht:
country thru that wicked war upon {
weak sister republic, for the only ant
sole purpose of wrestling from her terri
tory upon which the standards Of SLAYER!
might be set up, resulted from one maj
stopping on his way and failing to cas-
his vote. 81
Mr.. Hepburn cited a still more sig
nifcant instance of the value OF one
vote. In 1884, according to his state
ment, the ordinance providing for thu
creation of the great Northwest Terri
tory was presented to the continental
congress. Accompanying it was bill
for the government of that territory
It contained the provision that SLAYER.
or involuntary servitude, except as I
punishment for crime, shall never b.
permitted within the limits Of this ter
ritory or any other territory that ma.
hereafter be granted by any of tn
states to the general government. ;
This was under the old Confederation
where states voted by states, each hav
:. ing one voice; but the representative
Of those states determining anon
themselves how that vote should b
cast. Eight states voted for this prope
! sition, but nine were necessary. Ne'
! Jersey had five delegates. -Four Of the1
we're in their places, but they wer
! equally divided, SO that New jersey wa
! able to cast no vote. The fifth membe
] Of the New Jersey delegation, was i
Q favor of the proposition, but was not |
his place, and because Of his absenc
s the ordinance was not passed at tina
t time. Three years later, when
came up again, the clause Any Ian
}. hereafter granted by any Of the state
s shall be under the same restriction wit
( regard to slavery had to be elimil
s ated before the ordinance could b
d passesd.
t Mr.. Hepburn pointed out if that Ne,
0 Jersey man had been in his place whe
: the ordinance came up in 1874 it Woul
have been passed in its original form