The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-09-05
xsaaY DON'T THEY vOTEi
why Don't They go te school

why Don't They go To- school !!
It is an alarming view in the condi
ton of affairs in Kentucky that out of
10000 qualified voters, rarely more
than 100000 of them can ever be in
duced to exercise the right or privilege
at any given election. The voice OF
the majority of our people is the SOW
crcign, controlling authority, and ye;
VIC doubt If any State officer, from
Governor down, ever receives major
ity Of the actual voters of the State.
Blackburn was elected by majority
OF $4,000 over his next highest com
peti,or, and yet he likes clean 100.
000 Of having carried nainritg e Aha.
qualified voters 10 the State why is
i. that the people don't vote2 Is 1t
because they ere disguised with the
attempt Of the people ruling thcm~
selves. aud desire to relegate the duty
Of ruling TO certain classes of citizens
or is it from ignorance a. to the I'M
porlaucc OF their duty to vote?
The same question can be asked IN
regard to the attendance upon the pub
lie schools Less than one half of the
children of school agtsat,ond school,
VIXEN The privilege Is free, and every
iniacement offered to get them to at
tend. Oar own conclusions are that
this general neglect in voting, and this
general failure 10 send children to
school is caused, in one class Of our
people, by Ignorance, and in another
by the all absorbing interest to make
money. Make money, this IL the grand
object, aim and purp Sc Of large ma
jority Of our people. The pri0ilege
and daty Of voting IS esteemed az moth
I'M. If il interfcres with the making oil
money. We don't believe that our
iprefathcrs we're so much superior q
the presea. generation as the 18th oi
July orators represent, but it il unde
Unable that they did. on occasions, dis
pay such a spirit as patriotism thaI
they did, while recognizing the value
Of money, hold some thugs li'tl'
more sacred than money. In this day
aud time, at heart, majority of The
people no doubt prefer right to wrong
and il compelled to vote would so pro
uouuce. but as to public matters at 4
public election, there must be individ
VA, causes to induce a majority to q
10 the polls aud declare for the RICH
anI agains. the wrong. The reason i
lit indiyiduaI interest overshado"'
all interest in public affairs. If this
continues through maDy years, thu
result must be ruinous and destrueiig'
to our present form of government
Office holders seeing the spirit tina
actuates the people, will, inch by inch
turn public affairs to their individua
interest, until the public interest
entirely ignored.
And the troubIe is that he conditio
Of affairs seems irremediaD10-nt put
lie affairs are rushed into such terrrr
abuses as to arouss the people, an
nine chances to one this will only
None through a revolution and chan:
form Of government. This is
a.,ain as any cause produces an efe'
O~>frec institutions can not live U
JaF ife,g,ight of ignorance, indiif'
sTce, aud fsse Of individual gain, NJ
prevalent aud Increasing. lis
fashion to praise lhq----eessful man
n,4-----"Tfrsi and besides full mon
bags bring deal Of comfort, priyile
and liberty; bur, it is also true. h
10 make money gathering the al
HE snbordinariog every public dut
10 money, will in the end prove rui,
Gus to any people. The money love
ore Vt the very class who have the il
'e'f'Sesee to be fit to vote, and let the,
stay away and assist in misdireetin
'De ignorant vote and the calamity al
lending ignorance is thus magni6e,
90 OF the two, we say, that mops
loving is the weight that is destrovip
this country.