The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-28
COmDulsOry Voting.

Kansas City has brought into practical
use theory that has long been pro-
pounded by political economists, that is,
the principle of compulsory voting. Four
years ago provision was made by law
that any citizen who neglected to cast his
vote at city election should be liable to
poll tax, or fine, for it is equivalent to
that of 50. 30. AT the last municipal cleo
ton, thousands of citizens stayed away
from the polls and one Of them has been
hauled up and mulcted two and a half
dollars. As many as 5000 voters there
are liable to similar penalty.
This looks little tyrannical and OF
doubtful constitutionality. But there is
a great deal of justice in it, and if it will
stand the test of judicial criticism it is
likely to work a great reform in a needed
direction. 1t will probably be copied
elsewhere, and if it came into general
operation would no doubt change the
character OF our public service materially.
The Kansas City charter having been
amended by popular vote to embody this
provision it is likely to stand.
The Discrimination of many of the fore
most business men of the country to take
part in politics tends to degrade public
affairs. Unworthy men push their way
to the front and "bosses'' take charge of
election affairs, while better and more
competent persons keep back and the
country loses both their services and their
votes. That is all improper and there
ought to be radical change.
1t is said that the non-voting elements
are not the farmers and mechanics and
laborers, but the business and professional
classes. Thus the country vote is really
representative while the city vote is sell
dom expressive of the wishes of its most
influential and intelligent people. So the
officers elected in the rural districts are
commonly the kind OF men wanted by
their constituents, while the city elected
officials are placed in power by the will of
the bosses who control the masses that
have little thought of the public interest.
1t ought to require no force and no urg-
ing to make men holding the elective
franchise exercise it in the interest of
good government. There is something
repellant in the idea of compulsory vot-
ing. The right to vote is equivalent to
the duty to vote, or at least one goes with
the other. Ii citizens will not use the fran
chise they ought not to be entrusted with
it, and it would be only just to deprive
them of its privileges on repeated neglect
to cast ballot at public elections.
There is no particular need for any com
pulsory means in this direction at pres
ent in Utah, although there are many
people who have the right to vote and yet
absent themselves from the polls. But in
many cities of the country, because the
active, bright and substantial men keep
out of politics, the primaries, conven
tions, and consequently elections, are
controlled by the inferior elements led by
politicians, and the result is
the misgovernment and peculation COM
planned of so loudly all over the Union.
If the responsible and prominent people
of the land do not perform their duty in
this respect. either forfeiture of the fran
chise or fine for neglect will have to be
adopted to make compulsory that which
ought to be performed cheerfully as a
pleasant duty to home and the nation.