The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-07-13
Not Yet a Powerful Factor.

In each campaign there is much talk
of capturing the Irish vote, the Ger
man vote, the foreign vote, the labor
vote, the Catholic vote. Only rarely
does the politician refer to the bust
ness vote.
For this state of affairs the business
men are themselves largely responsible
They have held aloof from politics
They have not been organized. They
have never seemed to realize the value
of cohesion. II it chooses to exert it.
self the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States can become power in
the land. So can the National Board
of Trade, for both organizations are in
intimate touch with commercial organ
izations throughout the country. 1t
is true that the membership is numer-
ically small, as compared with the great
mass of the voters, but the influence
which could be exerted would be far
out of proportion to mere numbers.
The time has come apparently when
business men realize that they must
stand together and that party affilia-
ton is not as important as other con-
siderations. If the present movement
toward concerted action among bust
ness men ever reaches its complete cul-
mination, the political situation in this
country will present a new phase.
1t is extremely unfortunate that bust
ness and politics must go together 1t
would be better if. as Mr.. Marshall
suggests. they corid be entirely sepa-
rate. 1t would be delightful if the
manufacturers kept no representative
in Washington, just as it would be
ideal if the temperance people, the
railroad corporations, and the labor or
CARNATIONS should keep aloof from
Congress. 1t cannot be. AS long as
laws affecting all these interests are
enacted by the politicians, present con-
ditions must continue This means
that they will never change. More and
more, as population increases and pub
lie welfare becomes, a more serious
problem, governmental regulation and
supervision will extend. Legislation
will largely concern business conditions.
Business men will not be content to
leave the enactment of laws to men
who have had no business experience
They will demand larger representa-
ton of their own class in Congress.
The only way by which they can
achieve their purpose will be by a more
active participation in political affairs.
And, as already stated, this larger
interest is already manifesting itself.
1t means much for the country, for if
we are to have the rule of the people
it is essential that the vote shall not
be confined to the few. The greatest
menace to this country today is the
apathy regarding suffrage among the
very class which ought to be most ac-
tive. There is, indeed, a question
whether our system of levying a poll
tax as prerequisite to voting is not
wrong. 1t is true that in many States
this tax has been abolished and that
where it does prevail the tax receipt
is regarded by the foreign-born popula-
ton as a badge of citizenship. 1t might
be better, however, if tax was i'm
posed upon the man who did not vote.
If he does not do his. duty to the COM
munity by going to the polls he ought
to contribute to its treasury by the
of fine The Inauguration
of such system might have a good
effect, especially if the list of delin-