The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-01-10
pFflcIAL PAPER OF cHoUrEAU COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 10, 1912.
THE DUTY OF CITIZENSHIP.


The Indifference displayed by many
Montana citizens in the matter OF
segistr alton, is the subject of news'
paper comment in ali parts OF the
state. In Chouteau county there has
been . heavy registr alton of electors
who propose to vote upon the question
Of forming the new counties OF Hill
and Blaine, but in other parts of the
county there are comparatively few
who have taken the trouble to secure
the enrolment Of their names upon the
great register.
This lack of interest in what is
really q public duty is general IN Cas-
cade county, and the conditions in
that part of Montana are made q sub.
ject of editorial discussion by the
Great Falls Leader to this effect:
In the United States one of the fret
duties OF good citizenship is that of
taking q voice in the aft airs of the
government under which we live; in
fact that comes the first duty for, with.
out that, good citizenship is some
thing along lines Of q steel battleship
without guns in war time-comforting
to look at, but impossible for service.
And this is not overdrawn.
Whenever you hear q man Boosting
that he takes no interest In politice-
not enough to vote even-you may
safely put him down, fret as an ass
unworthy Of citizenship, and second,
o. a man more harmful to civic
righteousness than Lefty Roodlum,
the porch climber, for the first man
has within him the power to correct
evils and fails to use it, while poor
Lefty sees no further than the bed.
room dresser beyond the porch.
Which do you consider the worse, the
mar who considers himself above the
fret institution Of his country, or the
porch climber who has never been
taught to consider anything but the
porch?
DUV uCltuCE tuC uOl4CI' 'VAOu
citizen, mol the Decentralization
porch climber may take part in the
proceedings unless he register. II you
don't get your name on the big book.
you are to all intents and purposes
of no more account in the general
mixup than Hong Lee, the Chinese
rat catcher, who piles up his trade on
the far away banks Of the Yang Use
Klang. And that is the truth.
The United States government pro.
vides that the people shall do the
business of the government through
their votes; for that purpose it gives
them the franchise-and the man who
fails to register and vote has no kick
coming upon any public proposition
The man who looks bored and tells
you with q yawn that II dont care te
vote because politics r 80 rotter
don't you know" is . greater enemy
to the country than the biggest politi
cal CRATER who ever grabbed-for hi
negligence brings the CRATER into be
ing, and for civic rottenness he ha
politics beaten q Mormon block.
Which Of course doesn't get any
where, except to point out that unde
the new Montana registr alton law it
necessary that q man register bu
once in a lifetime If he stays in tn
same voting section. Under the oil
law it was necessary that you registe
for each and every election; under th
new law that Is not necessary-but 20
have to register first. The books i
the Office of the clerk and recorde
have been open for Cascade count
since last July-and less than 20 pc
cent of the voters of Cascade count
have registered.
Under the new law the registratio
books close for 30 days previous ,
an election, which means two month
lost between now and next Novembe
as the spring school election wi
NEAR also 80 days off. The outloe
for registr alton is rather discoura
ing, and will mean q short vote ne
election, q showing of decressir
population which will hardly be got
advertising for M~ontana-not to me
tion the election OF officials witho
full expression of the people.
Regardless of politics, it is eve
mans duty to register, and the du
of every other man to see that be doe
Help along good government by ia
Ing your neighbor by the scruf1 of t
neck, II he be email enough. aud lea
ing him to the registration, ofic
Start . debating club upon the subje'
and whenever q man sneer at the re
istration suggestion just mark hi
Anun IN vOnr hnok a n citizou ~