The sun., 1918-10-11
CAN A CITIZEN BE MADE TO
VOTE If HE DOESN'T
WANT TO VOTE?

Compulsory Amendment Up In Massa.
chusetts on Election Day-Aryu-
ments Set Forth for the Measure.
BosroN, October 10.--As a result of
the Constitutional Convention which
adjourned recently Bay State voters
will have an opportunity on election
day to express their opinions on nine
teen proposed changes In the State
Constitution. 1t Is apparent already
that not more than three Of these pro-
posed changes are inviting much popu-
lar debate. One Of them provides the
initiative and referendum. The other
two permit the Legislature to establish
compulsory voting and biennial cleo
lions. The biennial election was over
whelmingly defeated when up for q
vote once before.
Many believe that the real contest
over the work Of the convention Is
centring round the initiative and
referendum. Indeed. 1t is declared that
the ssner forces Of the commonwealth
are focusing their battle on this
single issue, leaving the others to take
electorate, and yet opinions are freely
expressed to the effect that It will re-
quire a strong and aggressive cam
paign to defeat the measure. William
r. Hearst, its lifelong promoter, has
been hammering away at 1t for years.
exercising through his journals here
sharp criticisms against any Demo-
crat who ventured to oppose 1t. It Is
not believed that the people as a whole
really want 1t, and so every effort IL
being made to arouse the voters Of
Massachusetts,, and 1t Is now very gen.
orally said that the rally to the de-
fence OF the representative form OF
government which has come down to
them from the fathers will decide that
this Is no time for such a lurch into
Bolshevikism> as the initiative and
referendum would permit.
In one way compulsory voting" is
a misnomer. What IL aimed at Is not
SO much compulsory voting as cre-
ating an incentive to vote.
OF course, there can be no such
thing as compulsory voting" All
that can be done IL to make a man go
to the polls, but after he once gets
into the booth no one can compel him
to vote either for or against any per-
son or question. That 10 up to his
own consciousness. There are thou
sands Of registered voters who never
think Of going to the polls. who do
not keep themselves posted with re-
gard to public questions and who are
more apt to spend the day in the club.
hn INK hnn
they are to vote. These, Of course,
| are the so-called better elements In
the community. As a matter Of fact
their indifference to the right Of suf-
frage entities them to another kind of
efinition-slackera The argument Is
that IL men of these types were COM
PEELED either to go to the polls or to
give an adequate reason for not going
to the polls. they would almost, with
out exception, unless they are entirely
lost to a sense Of public responsibility,
go to the polls.
The. bringing Of these men to a
recognition of their responsibilities
would, IL is declared. raise the tone of
public life. Furthermore, that business
men who have great interests at stake
would be more likely to accept the OPP
portunity which they already, have,
but which too many Of them neglect,
| to undertake the influence of public
| opinion in a conservative direction.
| Especially II Is indicated great ques-
tons would no longer be decided by
a pitiful fraction of the electorate;
and that 1t would no longer be posi-
BILE for those who happen to be espe-
cially interested in some particular
fad or socialistic scheme to force their
| theories upon the community by cast
| ing a majority Of the votes actually
thrown. although In a complete poll
of the electorate they would be in the
minority.
Not few are now asserting that we
pay altogether too much attention to
| the right Of suffrage and altogether
| too little to the exercise of that right;
that we are continually extending the
electorate; and that a minority OF the
electorate dictate the policy Of State
or nation on public questions.
- Compulsory voting" SO called. would
doubtless result in the abolition Of the
| great unnecessary expense to the peo'
| u
| hitherto have been insistent upon d.
rect primaries or have accepted then
as an undesirable necessity would bt
convinced by compulsory voting" thai
something should be done to eliminats
them.
I'VE have gone to great lengths ir
the extension of suffrage. The mex
thing is to go as far as we can in in
ducing the proper exercise of suffrage
said a prominent business man wht
was a member OF the Constitutions
Convention, and ne added. "As to thu
methods of enforcing compulsory vot
ing that could be decided by ,legisla'
tive authority. The mere fact Of having
TO explain the reason for not going Il
the polls and perhaps paying a flint
for not giving an adequate reason
would, in my opinion and in the opin
lon Of men who have given the sub)ec
thought, be q sufficient incentive"
At the present time compulsor!
voting does not exist anywhere In thu
United States. Many years ago thu
State Of Missouri inserted in the cnar
ter of Kansas City a provision to TIT
effect that a poll tax OF $3.50 SHOULD
be levied upon every male resident o
legal age, but exempted from the pay
ment Of this tax all those who votet
at the general election. In Kansa
City VS.. whipple, 136 Mo. 4s1, thi
law was held to be contrary to tn
State Constitution as Discrimination!
and as imposing a penalty upon cleo
tors for failure to exercise the fire.