Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-11-21
EDITORIAL COMMENT IN
THE ELMER TINES


dbu 5cmotJnCu ptaCtiCnAAJ al OiSSt
ed by a vote less than a msj ority of all
the votes cas- at the late election, 80
that they can not claim to be represent
ing a majority of the voters politically.
In Salem, Gloucester and Cumberland
counties, the assemblymen and sena-
tors chosen, all failed to get q majority,
although they received more votes than
the nexthighest candidates. The same
thing happened at the last presidential
election when Mr.. Wilson was chosen
president.
The presidential vote in New Jersey
last year gave Wilson 178, 2S9, while the
combined vote for other presidential
candidates was 254, 1885,.
From 1874 to 1880 every governor cleo
ted In this state had more votes than
all other competitors combined. In
1880 Ludlow, Democrat, was chosen
with a plurality, but not a majority
over all. Governors Green, Albeit,
and Werts, all Democrats, followed, all
elected with less than a majority vote,
but in 1895 Griggs, Republican, was
chosen with a good big majority over
all competitors, although there were
five candidates In the field. Voorhees,,
Republican, followed with slightly less
than a majority, but Murphy, Repub-
lican, and Stokes who followed him in
1904, both had a majority of all the
votes cast. Fort, Republican, did not
fare as well and ruled by an election In
which he obtained less than q majority
OF the popular vote. Wilson, for gov
ernor in 1910, had a handsome major
ity wei all, but Fielder will take his
seat In January, chosen by considera-
bly, less than a majority of all the votes
cast.
Under our system of government, a
plurality only is required to elect, but
voters as a whole, are good losers and
the majority Immediately acquiesce in
the result. That Is where we differ
from the countries south Of us. There
the losers start a revolution, which
proves perhaps that they are not yet
fit for popular constitutional govern
ment.
In nearly all OF the counties of this
state the number of ballots cast last
week, showed a falling off from what
might have been reasonably expected.
In Salem county the number on the
registry list was about 400 more than
the number of ballots cast, and in Glou-
cester county, 1t is claimed that about
1000 registered voters failed to cast a
ballot.
Some are inclined to charge the new
-baliet-4aW wAh-fhe resp0nsflifs y;
others think that it is c~hargeable to in
decision on the part of voters, while
others claim that many men w%hoshpuld
prize the voting privilege, do not take
enough interest In public affairs TO go
to the polls.
1t Is possible that many voterb on
what has been known aa the purdhas-
able list in times past, do not see any
real reason for bothering with the bal
lot now that they cannot get direct pay
for voting.
There are comparatively few persons
in rural districts and small towns who
will be required to pay anything to the
government under the new income tax
law, although every person is taxed.
The exemption allowed excuses the
great mass of the country's residents e.
One writer in commenting on the law
says: "Its main object is to raise rev
enue for the government extravagahtly
administered, and to shift the burden
of taxation to those, who In the opin-
ion of persons having little or nothing,
should pay dearly for having so me-
thing.n
Another writer says: "Congress chose
to throw away the $50, 000, 900 of yearly
evenue derived from the tax on sugar,
which is evenly distributed and which
no one feels, and hence had to provide
q substitute so as to make up for the
loss of revenue from that source; q levy
on personal income was accordingly
decided on. The limit Of exemption
will be reduced as the need for more
money becomes urgent, to $500, to
$4,000, to 81 800, and possibly still lower.
In Great Britain incomes are taxed
down to $500, and the Wisconsin in
come tax law requires returns o finco me
from all persons in receipt Of over $500
a year."
1t is extremely probable that in addi-
ton to the income tax required by the
government, many states will soon fol-
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