Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1910-03-17

CITIZENS who whine and snarl be-
cause the government is not so good
as IL ought TO be, and then assist
the government in becoming worse
by not coming out TO vote. 1t strikes
at the pocketbook of the voter, ant
1t is generally conceded thar the
pocketbook is the shortest route to
the average mans heart these days.
Briefly put. the plan Is to tax
the citizen who does not vote ten
dollars a year for the privilege OF
being indifferent. The tax is re-
duced TO two dollars n year for the
citizen who does his duty.
The advocate of the bill in his
remarks before the legislative COM
mittee, stated that the associated
boards of trade for which he spoke
included business organizations OF
the cities of Lawrence, Haverhill
Gloucester, Salem, Lynn, Peabody
Saugus and Lynnfeld. This Is n
sufficient certificate that good
number of hard-headed business men
are behind the measure.
In explaining their attitude and
the reasons for their support. the
leader of the combined business
bodies said:
They are business organizations
purely, and know no race distinc-
ton, 10 creed, no political organiza-
ton. They exist only for the prog
ress of Essex county, and the pur-
pose of this bill is to induce some
thought on this question. The first
! duty of the good citizen is to exer-
else his right of elective franchise.
For over $50 years, on every forum,
the people have been educated to
exercise the franchise, and the in
difference TO this duty Is increas-
ing. rather than decreasing, in spite
of all the instruction they have re-
ceived, all that has been said as to
its importance.
TT Is this Indifference of the cit
izen that brings the form of the city
and town governments we have in
some communities today. ! believe
that every citizen should exercise his
franchise, and IL there was the gen.
eral exercise of the elective fran
chise that we should have there
would be no need of government by
commission.
Our purpose Is to put this leg
| islation in this form rather than as
a penalty, although 1t really is a
penalty. 1t is appalling when you
face the Indifference of citizens to
expressing their opinions on politL
\ zeal question. The whole communi-
IA is too commercially active. They
say we haven't the time to spend
an hour and half going down to
be registered, or to vote.
a'In 1909, in this State (Massa-
chusetts), there were 9l5,G37 as
sessed polls. and out of that number
only 570,72i were registered. There
were 33i,913 citizens of this COM
monwealth who did not even make
the effort to register at the State
election. The percentage of those
not eligible to vote last year was
very small Certainly all of the cit
iizens who registered must have been
citizens of this country, who were
leligible TO exercise their right oil
franchise. Out Of the entire mum"
Der registered, 16S.GS7 did not vote
at the last State election; ever "a
quarter of the registered voters did
not vote. 1t was the same at the
city and town elections, as shown by
document document AZ for 1910 just
out.
THE percentage of assessed polls,
not citizens, runs about three and
one-haif per cent, through the
State: so you can see from the num-
Der of polls assessed that there were
402,l37 who voted and 5l3.jOO .whc
did not vote. Over so per cent. oil
the citizens of the State did not
vote. Now that, | take 1t, you will
agree is n most deplorable state OF
affairs.
You gentlemen have pcrsonauS
faced IL and know what IL Is to get
| IN