Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-06
WHAT WILL THE VOTE
FOR PRESIDENT Be?
Figures That Show Citizens Do
Not Exercise Privilege to It's
Fullest Extent,
SPECULATE AS TO, FUTURE


Washington, Nov. 4.--(Special.) -
What will be the total vote cast for
president of the United States next
Tuesday,
Is popular interest in the quad
rennial political contest sufficiently
animated to increase the vote this
Year, What are the evidences in re-
cent years by which one may Judge
of the measure of esteem in which
the ballot is heidi What has been the
trend OF election history? When was
the highest vote in proportion to pop
ulation cast-when the SMALLEST
An effort carefully and intelligently
to answer these questions in such
a way as to afford enlightenment,
answering them in the broad light Of
statistical facts, is fraught with ex.
tremely interesting considerations.
That they suggest and involve prob
lens highly important to the general
welfare no man can doubt who values
his responsibility as a citizen OF the
United States.
Not few thoughtful citizens who
have seriously concerned themselves
with what these questions import have
concluded that the highest develop
ment of our form of government can
come only from compulsory voting.
and that the surest sign and fact OF
national decadence is when there is
general national neglect OF the ballot
The reflection has come first Of all
from the fact that for more than a
generation the proportion Of voters
to population has steadily declined,
the decrease being not only in general
elections, but in state elections.
Voters Disappoint Students.
Four years ago it was commonly
estimated the vote would be over H.
100000. That estimate fell short OF
the result quite 100000. The total
Of l5,036,542, cast that year, was g.
100000 less than the number Of native
male whites of voting age in the
population of the United States, ac-
to the census OF 1910. 1t was
nearly 100000 less at the same time
than the male population OF the voting
age, including natives, foreign-born |
and colored. With the great three
contest between Taft, Roose-
welt and Wilson; bitter struggle for
the mastery of the republican party
between Taft and Roosevelt; with
Wilson as bright particular star in
The political armament; with the
socialist candidate, Debs, making an
vigorous canvass; with the
candidate, Chain, in mill
ant mood and prohibition growing in
lrea and power throughout the states
with these men and with a plethora
If measures of profound public inter-
st, not to say, novel attractiveness--
I seemed quite reasonable to expect
hat the largest vote ever cast for
PRESIDENT would be polled in Novem-
yer, 1912. But the result was strik-
ngly different. 1t was less in pro.
portion to the population than any
,ote since and including that Of 1876.
The combined votes OF Taft and
Roosevelt, which was 1904, 463, was
30l5 less than that cast for Taft In
9O8. 1t was l4,o34 less than that cast
or Roosevelt in 1904, when he de-
Gated Parker, his democratic op-
onent by plurality of 1851 ,703. The
ote for Wilson, 6,293,0l9, was 1856
.ss than that cast for Bryan in 1908.
he Taft vote in 1908 was the highest
yer cast for a republican candidate
Or president; that for Bryan, in 1896,
ne highest ever cast for a democrat
n 1912 the vote for the socialist cam .
idate, Debs, was 1873, an increase
yer 1908 of 4S0,o5l, or ia per cent.
he vote for the prohibition candidate,
hafin, showed decided falling off i
" that party-l0 per cent.
Proportion to Population. r
An examination of the table below t
ill show by population, year and ?
ote, the decline of the exercise of t
iffrage the last forty years, includ. p
70 ten presidential elections. r
Pct of S