Iron County Record | 1952-06-05 | Page 2 | One Vote is Important

One Vote Is Important "Our forefathers fought for the right to vote but do we care much for that right today?" wrote Hugh Forster, chairman, Civic Committee, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. "Apparently "Ap-parently we don't." ' Mr. Forster then cited some facts which should make America ashamed of itself. In a recent election, 90 per cent of Belgium's eligible voters went to the polls. 82 per cent voted in the last British election. Other nations have comparable records. But only 51 per cent of eligible Americans Ameri-cans vited in the Presidential election in 1948. It's an easy alibi to say that just one vote doesn't matter. mat-ter. The fact is that one vote can be overwhelmly important. import-ant. In 1884, James Blaine lost New York state by much less than one vote per precinct. Had he carried New York he would have defeated Cleveland and become President. Every American freedom rides solidly on the right of franchise. The secret ballot is the greatest defense against tyranny ever devised. No one who fails to vote can call himself a good American citizen.