The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-30
YOU SHOULD ATTEND
THE PRIMARIES.


Tomorrow evening, at S o'clock, the
Republicans of Ogden are expected to
gather at their primaries and elect
delegates TO the city convention TO be
held i'm the Court House at IL O'Clock.
Thursday morning. October 7. These
city primaries invariably bring out but
comparatively small percentage of
the party voters, whether the party
| holding the primaries be Republican
or Democratic. and this apathy is In
the nature oil an abuse Of the right
( of suffrage. which demands a remedy.
Poorly attended primaries cannot be
expressive of the will OF the people
and, therefore, cannot be conducive
10 good government, for political gangs
and professional politicians. without
any regard for civic righteousness.
control and dictate nominations I'm the
| absence of a representative body of
citizens,
There arc those who advocate the
disfranchisement of voters who are
derclict in their duties as citizens. A
political writer. Courtney de Kalb OF
San Jose, IN a paper read before the
Commonwealth club of that city, said
the franchise is duty to be enforced
by appropriate penalties for failure.
Some members OF the club were of the
opinion that. while the franchise un-
questionably carries with il an obll-
cation. the discharge of that obliga.
ton must be left TO the voter himself
under the influence of his own civic
conscience
Courtney dc Kalb says. mo man
has any fundamental legal right to
vote. All authorities agree that It is
function which the people through
their legislative machinery may permit
or forbid as to any part of the com.
munlty. 1t is question of expedien-
cy, and in most countries the franchise
is Withheld from the floating popula-
ton most susceptible to corruption or
most likely 10 vote blIndly at the sug-
gcstion of some leader In most states
OF this Union. however, the franchise
is given to all men of loyal age, and
in some states 10 women, and il is
probably true that among both men
and women the classes most certain
TO vote are those least fl for the fran
chisc. 1t is therefore a matter of i'm
portaacc TO the State that some means
should be found for forcing to tho
polls those too selfish and Indifferent
TO vote as a matter of duty, but who.
II they vote at ALL Will do so with In,
telliGence and discrimination There
Is real force in the contention that
public safety requires the votes Of the
more intelligent and Independent 10
Offset those of the ignorant and de-
graded
This is not. al present. more than
an academic question. There is no
probability of any serious attempt TO
penalIze delinquent voters. 1t may
come some time. but not now Never
tholess such discussion Il not alto
gether mfruitful for there Is a certain
number who viii he influenced TO vote
by a realization that II Is discredltable
not to do so, even if there is no pen.
atty for neglect.
There h little doubt, however. that !
diSfranchisement for not voting would
cause most mon to vote There is
certainly no other penalty appropriate.
and If 1t were the law that those who !
did not vote at the primary could not |
vote al the general election. except |
upon affirmative proof of illness or alb |
scnce from the city at the time of |
the election. there would he very few !,
abscntees second impulse could he |
given by providing that taxpayers who !
failed TO vote. oven for tho best OF |
reasons, should be the first summoned |
for jury duty. The full vote can be |
got out at all elections Whenever the
people decide that II is worth whIlo
.