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By federal law since 1792, the U.S. Congress had
permitted the states to choose their electors any time in a 34-day
period before the first Wednesday of December, which was the day set for
the meeting of the Electors of the U.S. president and vice president
(the Electoral College), in their own states.
An election date in November was useful because the
harvest would have been completed (important in an agricultural society)
and the winter storms would not yet have begun (a plus in the days
before paved roads and snow plows). In this arrangement, the states that
voted later could be influenced by a candidate’s victories in the states
that voted earlier. This problem became more prevalent by improved
communications of the train and telegraph. In close elections, the
states that voted last could determine the outcome.
A uniform date for choosing presidential Electors was
settled by the Congress in 1845. Many theories have been advanced as to
why the Congress settled on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November. It was a complicated decision, involving changes in the
calendar from year to year. In 1845, the U.S. was largely a rural
society, so farmers often needed a full day to travel by horse-drawn
vehicles to the county seat to vote. Tuesday was established as Election
Day because it did not interfere with the Biblical Sabbath or with
market day, which was on Wednesday in many towns.
Our ancestors took great care to make sure that all
people could have an influence on the nation where they lived. This has
been going on for 218 years. My great-grandfather, Josef Rumpf, came to
America in 1856. This was 64 years after the first election. When they
came onto our shores, they may have been some of the immigrants who fell
to their knees and kissed the ground.
I do know that he came over twice. After living here for
awhile, they returned to Germany because his wife couldn’t adapt to the
ways of life here. She did not learn our language. After a return to
their native land, they realized that the situation was much worse
there, and made the immense effort to return to America. Josef made sure
this time that his children learned the language and did not speak
German outside of their home. My grandfather, my father and then myself
have voted in every election for 117 years. This is a tradition that I
cherish. We have not always had a winning candidate, but we did not deny
our privilege.
This is the time to show our children and grandchildren
that we care about living, not only in this nation, but also in this
state and county. Study the candidates and make a choice. West Virginia
and Calhoun County are worth the effort it will take to vote. Don’t just
sit there: “If you think one person can’t make a difference, you have
never been in bed with a flea!”
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