Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-09

the principal public officers to be elected
at the same time. DR.. Oberholtzer says
| that only about half of all those who
know their own minds respecting can
didates seem to care anything about
measures" The neglect of the voting
privilege or duty is the crying evil of the
| times. but since voters are concededly
less interested in measures than in men,
the abstentions from voting will only be
| increased by substituting measures Tor
| men issues in the elections. and by
| multiplying the elections.
Switzerland's experience shows that
men will not keep up interest in voting
for measures under the referendum, that
the evil of it's stay-at-home vote is
greater even than in voting for men. In
case of national referendum scarcely
| more than one-half the registered voters
pass upon questions submitted at the
polls. In Berne a ajority of the reg
iStered voters have recorded themselves
on only nine out of sixty-eight questions
submitted. In one of the Swiss cantons
serious attempt was made some years
ago to compel voting by imposing a fine
upon every voter who failed to appear at
the polls. The polled vote increased, but
the purpose of the law was defeated, for
many of the compulsory voters dropped
blank ballots into the box. American ex-
perience with referendum voting at the
time of regular elections and while the
device is still a novelty gives a little bet
ter showing than in Switzerland. but the
teaching of the result is the same.
Compel Our Voters to Vote.
Some effective device is needed to stir
up letharSic voters to the voluntary per-
Torrance of civic duties or to compel
them to perform these duties if they will
not do so voluntarily. The poll tax in
stead of being a necessary preliminary to
voting should be increased and rigidly
applied as a penalty for not voting. In
stead of exacting payment for the privi-
lese of voting penalty should be i'm
posed for neglect of this duty Disfran-
chisement coupled with other severe pen
alties should be inflicted upon habitual
violators of this obligation of good citi-
zenship. Citizens should be compelled to
vote just as they are compelled to pay
taxes, though the voting obligation might
easily become valued privilege to be en-
joyed. while nothing probably will ever
make the taxpayers obligation a source
OF joy.
But compulson, as experience teaches.
will not fully compel, and resort must be
had to appeals to the reason and con-
science of the American citizen
The people can always prevail in the
United States IL they will. even under the
present clumsy and often perverted cleo
ton methods. Everybody knows that the
evils of the present day are largely at
tributable to neglect by the people of
their privileges-to failure to attend pri-
maries as well as failure even to go as
the citizens highest duty to the polls. 1t
is because the average citizen attaches
too great weight to his business and too
little weight to his citizenship that
bosses" and machines" get control. 1t
IS because the taxpayers. for instance.
have been foolishly negIectful in New
York that the organized non-taxpayers of
Tammany Hall. under bosses like Tweed.
have controlled the city's affairs and
spent as their own the city's money.
Through similar neglect in Philadelphia
a republican Tammany of non-taxpayers
under irresponsible bosses has been per-
mitted to handle the city's purse. 1t is
through the neglect by the average citizen
of his civic duties that the great trusts.
combines and monOpolies have attained
such strength. The utilization of venal
and predatory wealth and of predatory
and venal pauperism is the republics dan
ger The great middle class can and
must control.