The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-11
Why We Should Vote

Much said during the recent discussion
pro and the stock law. in regard to the
unfairness Of holding a preferential primary
when SO many Of our people not qualified
to vote. The stock law was overw helmingly
defeated, and it is not our purpose desire
TO say anything here in regard to the fairness
or unfairness Of holding the primary last Tues
day, but would be negligent In our duty
TO the sovereign voters of Southampton
county II failed to warn them against neg
lect and Indifference in the payment of poll
taxes. Any man who fails to pay his poll tax
has no kick coming If he cannot vote He is
always warned by the county treasurer, by the
Democratic county chairman and by the editor
OF this paper several times before the required
six months prior to election lapses and in
ample time to hand his s1.5S to the county
treasurer any of his deputies and If ne doesn't
pay It's his own fault 1t seems to that any
white citizen Of this any other county who
has any self respect pride of honorable
ancestry or business interest of any kind who
is interested in the moral civic, educational
financial welfare of his county, State and nation.
ought always to keep himself qualified to vote
for and all good and measures and
against unworthy aspirants for office OF PERM
cious legislation. There is much of truth in
recent utterance by Secretary of the Navy DAN
ies, who believes in compulsory voting to this
extent. Says Mr.. Daniels:
/ Eve have come to time in national life
when the compulsory ballot decide for
itself Sovereign voters of this republic are
abdcating the most important duty Of citizen
ship. Should they be allowed In this way to
desert any more than man should be allowed
/ the right to desert the army In time OF war?
/ IF we require our citizens, as we properly
do, to serve on the jury, to bear when
called upon, TO obey any process of the court,
however much he may object, to give testimony,
to work reads 4.,-tsanytsi districts and to
pay taxes whether he approves them or not
may not also make it compulsory for him to
voter
"The chief and most far-reaching attribute
of citizenship is the use Of the ballot. If he
can forget his duty, the State must compel him
to recall it
When good men fail 10 vote the country suf-
fers DO you need better illustration Of this
than conditions near at home in Norfolk city?
II the best citizens of Norfolk had exercised
the proper interest in public affairs and vigilance
in safeguarding their cttys welfare there would
have been Jimmy Trehy and his perfectly
organized voting and otfeeholding machine so
| aptly described by of Vtrgna's foremost
me. q Statewide evil" In that 1t is the
fountain head and source of strength for the
Ubiquitous fee system in Virginia. The best men
can govern II they will, and when they fail to
exercise their right of franchise they but
little better citizens than those who taking ad-
vantage Of their negligence. and Indifference.
appropriate the public offices to themselves for
the perpetuaton of al ottceholding ring That
splendid vote of more than seven thousand in
Norfolk city Tuesday, which elected five out OF
the eight candidates of the Citizens party could
have been accomplished several years ago had
the people bestrred themselves as true and
, public spirited citizens. AS much as we sorrow
at the election of Trehy and two of his organi-
zation associates the city ticket. believe
that the people of Norfolk know they
have not realized before that tho real power Is
with them whore it rightfully belongs and viii
not again be given Into the hands of any or
ganization of "A few leaders of any political
clique following,
The downfall of another and bigger machine.
Tammany OF New York, brought about by
the same process as The partial defeat and
ultimate deathknell of the Norfolk aggrega-
, ton. The people of New York aroused by the
double dealing and hypocrtical "holier than
thou" attitude of Tammany in the sulzer i'm
parchment, gave Charlie Murphy's crowd one
of the worst defeats II has ever experienced. and
thereby again proves statement that the
=. best govern If they will Think to
what desperate straits the people Of a great
city like New York have come when the man
Sulzer impeached two weeks ago and removed
from the governorship OF New YArk is put up
and elected assembly delegate protest
against Tammany. while New York State has
been put in the Republican column as another
evidence of the peoples dlsapproval of Tam
manys rule. All the power that Murphy can
BUY all the petty grafters and rough necks
he has at his beck and call can prevent the
will Of the people from prevailing when they
unite against a common evil Not only is this
true in New York, but results everywhere indi-
cate that the days Of the ring politician. who
thwarts instead of representing the will of the
people. are few in the land. Federal vigilance
has been the price of liberty always, and the
man who qualities himself to vote and does II
is just as much hero for the general welfare
OF country as our forefathers of old who
wrested from British foemen the right of fran
chise which we are now too often inclined to
Observation-Disclosures News.