The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-04-01
By TOM ELLIS

MY TUitNN AiW
Nl And what couldn't say about
rome OF these reporters who have
been kidding me ever since became
city editor these Sinking gentry
who repay an easy assignment with
the assertion that the city editor IL
nut"-theae easy going legnen who
think "A deak hand exists merely 10 do.
viHe means for their discomfort
hut no. | restrain myself re-.
frnin. For well ! know my destiny.
I know whnt'il happen.
In week or 80 the editor and his
cabinet viii discover we're only gain
ing 500 circulation "A month. and
therein be ycip for a reorganization
OF tho local start They'll make An.
gcyine news editor and sorcnscn city
editor and SHIFT Aiircn Claire 10 the
waterfront and set Armstrong and
Daisy Henry 10 reading copy. and
shuttle up all the other beats
And when all IN done Homebodyll
find me standing In "a corner with no
desk. typewriter or anything. and the
associate editor win nay 10 the man.
aging editor. "Hy guliy. We forgot oil
Tom" Then they1l call the editor
up and thcy1i devise some scheme 10
send me 10 Portland or Denver or
| Dallas know the game
Thcrcil be a letter about Ike this
! pear -. vow remember Old
Tom Eilis. dont YOU We'll. Tom has
been on The Star AEan since JAnu-
arr. IN" last three weeks. AZ city
editor. ara he's just - fuli % pep ~
ever lots 81 CLEVER Ideas and ell
| that~but hos getting the wandefiust
| REain and I thinh he wants 90 move.
| Have gou Eot place you could use
| hlmT BETTER make " a desk sob. To-
| rauau his iams knee bnthcra him
| lot " You can find n niche To your
| organization Tho star uiii pay hair
hia moving etpeusss 1uEf 20 keep him
~ good hunnf. for he probably
biov back hsya in about two years"
Then OF ] so. and the fellows on
/ The star will think they're doing me
favor Maybe they are. That's not
1 the question. What I am driving at
is the reason for my peevc.
NEVER GET a CHANCE TO
VOTE.
I'm probably as good n citizen Of
the United states an Blil splvins.
wno runs garage In Georgetown
but / never voted for president
never live IN one state long enough
to acquire a residence. And for that
am dirfranchincd. There arc proba-
bly, half n million other intelligent
men in the same boat. We're the
migratory workerH~ whether We be
copy readers or harvest hands. on
u.stu-.f ,t,..strrs .,.x .,.frf.x. ska,,fa
be superior 90 those 81 ai-~-sS-~---
frstiA-ias~-rur we s~c and know the
country IN It's entirety. But no pro
vision N made for permitting uA 20
express ourselves. maintain the
government II the loser by this lack.
And II p.cvcs me.
I've worked. off and on. total OF
seven years on Washington state
newHpa perp-bui never for more than
six months at a stretch. Even then
don't object 10 being barred from
state elections But when can't
vote in n national election ., does ir.
ri,ate me. Twenty-Five years in the
Newspaper game ought to make me
fairly competent, 20 cast ballot
Here's funny thing. too:
WnshinEton's poii tax law n 10 de.
viacd that a person who pays no poll
tar gets no vote. And still they
claim tho object Of the poll tar IL TO
collect from tho migratory worker
| That gives mo n riRElc.
when did the migratory ever vo,oT
He has no legal residence. no place
he can really call home. And n he
tries 10 vote they prove he's not a
| bona fidr resident.
This poll tar 20 catch the itinerant
laborer IL one ~ the mos, delicious
bits OF unconscious humor ever
have come across But others bc-
| fore me have pccved NJ tho poll tax
That's not my pct pcove. Mine Is
| that:
Many Of our best citizens are dis
| franchlsod.
They have no voice In the govern.
| mont.
| I'm ono 81 them. and
| \ xgtst~t~fa VOTE