The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1919-01-16
COMPULSORY VOTING
States Leading Daily Argues
Ably Against It

The Florida Times Union of the
7th copied what The Herald said
in favor Of compulsory voting and
commented thereon as follows:
"There is no more thoughtful
man in Florida than the editor OF
the Punta Gorda Herald, and yet
a man who has habit of think
ing sometimes speaks without
thinking of everything worth con-
sideration in connection with the
subject he discusses. We sug-
gest few things for Col. Jor-
dams consideration that may or
NAV not have occurred to him.
"In 1872 Florida with a popu-
lation of 100000 cast between
thirty three and thirty-four
thousand votes-one in six OF the
population, and in 1876 cast near.
" $4,000 out of population OF
about 225, ,OOO-more than one IN
FIVE In 1912 the state cast a
vote of $4,000 out of a population
of 800, OOO-one in sixteen, and IN
1916 a vote Of $4,000 out OF a pop
ulation of about 960,OOO-about
one in twelve. Does Col. Jordan
think the political condition OF
the state was better in 1877 and
1876 than in 1912 and 1857
"The last federal census show
ed that the negro population out
numbered the white in the follow
ING counties: Alachua, Citrus,
Gadsden, fernando, Jefferson
Leon, Madison, Marion, Nassau,
Putnam, and supposing that hall
of the foreign born population
had not been naturalized ana
could not vote the negroes would
also be in the majority in Duval,
If voting were compulsory the
negro vote assisted by 900 Repub-
licans would elect the congress
man from the Second district. In
the third district only 2,5OO Whlte
Republicans would be necessary
in addition TO the negro vote TO
elect a Republican representative
From our viewpoint Republ-
can control of the country would
be pretty bad, but Republican
control of Florida vastly worse.
With compulsory voting a slight
division of the whites would put
the negroes in control of the state,
and without any division at all
they would be in control of a num-
Der of the most prosperous and
progressive counties--this or the
negroes would be kept from the
polls by intimidation or else
counted out by fraud.
"Since we have tried so hard In
Florida to get rid of the negro
vote and since the negroes have
practically stopped voting it
would be strange to pass a law to
compel them to vote. And bad
AS conditions are they would be
worse if controlled even by the
white men who don't take enough
interest in the affairs of the state
to go to the polls to vote. +"
Editor Jordan of the Punta
Gorda Herald proposes that vot-
ing be made compulsory and that
a man who is eligible to vote and
won't qualify be punished with
fine and Imprisonment. The Star
doesn't favor compulsory any
thing, except compulsory service
to the nation when it is in danger,
and beside this, as Editor Jordan
should know, compulsory voting
would work badly in some states,
if not all. But we think it would
be a good idea to make it a law
that a man who has qualified and
doesn't vote at two elections in
succession should lose his right to
vote. About half the troubles of
this country are due to the fact
that a large proportion of the
best men in it will stay away from
the polls on election day for al
most any trivial reason.-Ocala
Star.