The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-10-30
THE Day or ELECTION

League. believing In the e"'lre niNoIce-
msnt OF munisipai slisirs f,on state and
tional politics. condemns The sction OF
tpe General AssemD In changing the
dates Of the clly elections in Providence
aud other cities In the State, and de-
mands such statutory amendments as
will enable these cities TO hold their elec-
tions annually in the month OF Decsm-
bor. or therss bouts"
Thus Is crystallized the sentiment
against holding the municipal election
on the Tuesday pext after the first Non
day in November whicn In every alter
nate year brings the election also on the
day OF national election.
Tie question is open for discussion.
1t Is by no means settled by this reso-
luton.
There Is but one reason given for OPP
posing the election 1aie as now fixed.
4 hat Is that, In every alternate year, it
may tend TO confuse national aud local
issues. That opinion is OF itself open to
argument since 1t presumes that citizens
VIII hhu uiAhSuity III "pnOtoihB thoE
municipal lessons from the stump aud
their lessons / n national politics at the
same time and have not intelligence
enough to discriminate in their voting
when they go into the booths on election
day.
On the whole, however, this argu
ment for divorcine elections is a fairly
good one. None of us likes to have too
much or too strong q variety of politics
jsmmed down our throats at one and
the same time.
SO also the matter OF economy gained
in alternate years by clearing up our elec-
tions at one stroke Is Dot a vital consid-
Grafton. To be sure, the saving OF cleo
tion expenses Of a couple OF thousand
dollars is not to be snetzsd at, but il the
public interests are to suffer by econo-
mixing, the question Of expense ought
not to be considered.
But there is one mighty good reason
for combining the elections. We are not
prepared to affirm that 1t Is an all-pow-
erful reason. As We have said, the ques-
tion Is open for discvsion. but no talk
OF "a political trick" or q ''party
scheme" or any such nonsense will con-
cesl the plain fact OF experience that IL is
impossible to get out for the average
municipal election anything more than q
barely respectable vote. We may scoff
at the instrument OF political excitement
end campaign hurrsh as means Of get
ting voters to the polling places, but 1t
il a fact that little else has been found
30 effective The result 10 that the senti-
ment OF the majority OF the citizens of
this town, for instance, Is not expressed
at the average municipal election simply
because the voters do not 60 to the polls.
They ought TO, OF course, bat the fact Is
they uoht. NiNic pIioo uoeS uot move
them. with ell the local excitement OF
last fall, for instance, nearly one-third OF
the voters OF this town neglected to go
to the polls and vote. And accordingly
II is q pretty good claim. for the desira-
bility OF combining elections, that I'm
every alternate year perhaps, in every
fourth year pretty surely, the variety and
the average Importance of combined issues
tend to bring the voters out. II isa le-
eitimate plea that whatever method, even
an artificial method, providing it IL NOT
| dishonest, that will get the careless,
| regardless or neglectful citizen to go to
| the polls and perform his duty, ought to
be encouraged. The exercise OF the bal.
lot il q duty qvite a. much as it Is a
| privilege. 1t Is often argued that tho citi.
zen ought to be compelled TO vote sno q
penalty provided for nesleciing TO vote.
At any rate, that is a reasonably wise
provision that will tempt him to the
polls. When be Ia there he is quite at
liberty to vote az be pIesses. The thing
Is TO get him out.
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