River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1908-10-29
DUTY OF THE FIRST VOTER
May Change Results in Certain
Doubtful States.
Should Carefully Examine Record OF
Two Leading Parties and Start
Right-Real Americanism.

1t is not beyond the range of posi-
bilitv that the first voters in this presi
Dental election may hold the balance
of power in few of the doubtful
States. 1t is difficult to ascertain the
exact strength of this vote, hence it
offers a fertile field for speculation.
An intelligent estimate arrived at by
the only authentic data available would
seem to establish the number of first
voters in the United States at this pres
idential election somewhere near three
million. These young men are to cast
their first ballot for President in early
November.
There is also no accurate way of
knowing just how these votes are pro-
rated to the different States. 1t is
probably true that the safely Democrat
ic States and the safely Republican
States have something of a similar
quota, and to that extent of course, the
votes in the electoral college will not
be Influenced either way, but how about
the effect of this unknown vote in the
doubtful States?
Past experience shows that in these
States an increased suffrage in favor
of one party or the other, from l to
4 per cent, may change the results and
mark the defeat or victory of either
party. 1t is the first votes in doubt
full States that is of supreme impor-
lance. How will they be cast? For
Democracy, negation-a policy destruc-
tive of all that is good, and obstructive
of all that is progressive shall they
1, ~ vu1n
sent the great constructive business
league in America, known as the Re-
publican party?
Performance VS.. Promise.
The performances of the Republican
party may well be contraSted with the
obstructive tactics of the party of slav-
cry, State rights, secession, anti-eXpan-
sion, free silver, free trade, government
ownership of railroads, and numerous
other foolish and impossible makeshift
expediences. From the immortal Lin
coin to the renowned Taft, there is one
long line of brilliant achievements to
the credit of the Republican party.
Foremost among these many victories
will forever stand the abolition of
human slavery. Lincoln gave his life
that four millions of human beings
might be set free. He washed the stain
of human slavery forever from the
stars and stripes. The Republican par
ty saved the Union and made this
free republic forever.
Thirty-seven years later the cry sof
the oppressed went up from Cuba her
people had been ground into the dust
for four centuries by Spanish greed and
oppression. Another Republican Presi-
dent, another American martyr, came
to the rescue of the Queen of the An
titles, and William Mckinley, acting for
the Republican party, freed Cuba and
put her feet upon the solid rock of
peace and hope Invincible in war, the
Republican party has accomplished
great things in time of peace. Only a
generation ago a Republican Secretary
of State purchased from despotic Rus
STA its only possession on the North
American continent-Alaska- in
stead of it being a menace, as it for
merly was. to the peace of our land, it
now stands as a sentinel guarding
American interests in the Northern Pa
cifc and Atlantic oceans.
Another great Republican Secretary
of State secured for the United States
the open-door policy in China and thus
guaranteed equal commercial rights for
America in the Celestial Kingdom for
all time. Through a Republican Pres
ident and great Secretary of War
the Hon. William Howard Taft-the
United States is to-day building the
Panama canal-the realization of the
dream of ages.
When we acquired the Philippines
and Porto Rico we set about to estab-
lish public schools and make education
possible to all those strange peoples.
Now hundreds of thousands of Filipino
and Porto Rican children are speaking
the English language and singing the
songs of patriotism and freedom with
their faces turned to the future and