Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-09-08
Compulsory Voting.

Congressman LoudenSlager of New
Jersey thinks that il all voters were
compelled to vote at the primaries and
on election day all political ills would
be cured. He makes some interesting
and forceful statements TO back up this
declaration.
All will agree with the New Jersey
congressman that the man who neg
lects to vote, who purposely refrains
from taking any part in. primaries and
elections, and who leaves this vitality
important duty to be performed either
by his neighbors Gf they are so dis
posed or by political "bosses" and
''ringsters" (who are always so dis
posed), is a bad citizen.
The New Jersey congressman says
we will never have really pure politics
in America until we devise some means
for compelling voters to perform their
duties. At the present time the per-
Icentage of the men who shirk their
duty. especially at the primaries, is
enormous, he continues.
After telling of the vast percentage
of citizens who neglect their duty on
primary election day, he declares:
THE result is that the political game
in America is played too often only by
an inferior class of citizens, who could
easily be outvoted by good men. Those
defaulting citizens who neglect their
duty to the community are responsible
for graft i'll public life, for bossism in
states and cities, and for practically
every iniquity of American politics
| This is fact which is known to every
practical politician and to every man
who has ever run for public Office. If
| they would do their duty we would
have clean politics, and | have been
slowly coming to the opinion we never
will have clean politics until the eXer-
else of the right of voting is made
compulsory by every person who is
entitled to cast a ballot =
Bosses thrive and graft flourishes
because good citizens permit bad citi
zens to run our politics. The substan
| tial men of any community could drive
! the bosses out of business over night
if they all turned out at the primaries
The result would be to attract better
men as candidates.
With all of which most of us will
agree. But the mere forcing of voters
TO go to the polls will not, we believe
cure the evils effectively.
| Going to the polls is primarily impor
liant ic essential M cd
to that there must be thoughtful vot
=, ing, which can be accomplished only
after careful study of men and meas
ures. The mere voting will accomplish
little unless the voters are inspired By
THAT public spiritedness and patriotism
which will influence them to select be
tween candidates as to their fitness TO
Ipublic service and as measured b.
principles involved
1t is solemn, serious duty which
ievery voter should perform. He shoult
go to the polls on primary day and OIL
election day. More than that, he shoult
give some portion of his time to stud.
iof the men and the issues, and exer
his influence not only by his vote, bu
by his voice for the betterment of gov
lerpment.
The citizen should have these imp5l
tant facts jabbed into his ribs often.
The voter who neglects to vote o
who votes indifferently and without re
gard to possible results, must share tn
blame for the outrages of maladmini:
tratiOn graft and hOSSiSm so commO
in this land of the free and home c
the brave