The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-08-10
VOTERS URGED
TO TURN OUT
FOR PRIMARY
Expected Small Vote Elates
Old Line Politicians-Clti
zens Have Power To Elect
Efficient Officers.
SEEK WOMEN'S BALLOT

The general apathy which has char
acteriZed the political activities con-
! nected with the coming primary cleo
tion on Tuesday, Aug. %, is being de-
plored by many citizens interested in
seeing the referendum on that day
give the lie" to the generally ex-
pressed opinion that the voters OF
| Richmond are unable to center their
| forces in electing a thoroughly COM
| petent man to hold down the exc
! cutive position of the city.
A certain group of politicians is ex-
| ulting in the belief that the vote at
the coming primary will be the small
! lest ever cast in this city.
They believe that the smaller the
vote the greater is the possibility OF
their candidate being put over for the
| Republican nominee.
| The purpose of a primary election,
when the law was passed in Indiana
permitting them, was to take the con-
troll of nominees out of the hands of
the boss politician of the city, or a
small group of influential men, and
give the people the right of express
ing their preference as to who the
nominee should be to carry the ban
ner in the November elections.
\ Voters Can Control.
If the power vested in them is eX-
ercised, the control of politics is in
the hands of the voters. However
, the discouraging fact is that a large
majority of people allow a few sly
rumors to cause them to stay away
from the polls and pass up their right
to participate in the selection of an
efficient man for an office holder
These rumors have been current in
Richmond during recent days. 1t is
an open secret that efforts have beer
made to get the women of the cit!
to stay away from the polls.
Latest reports were to the effect
that the women's organizations hae
= decided to enter actively in the cam
!. paign. There support will be divides
, among the eight candidates for tbs
office, without doubt.
r Using Old Gag
n The statements made in variou
quarters that the outcome of the elect
ion is assured for certain prominen
! candidate, Is another old political gas
| which has been worked successfully or
! numerous occasions. It is a form o
: hoodwink that has been pulled owe
the eyes of voters in several cities il
) Indiana, during the last year, ant
, served to keep large number of vot
ers away from the polls
The outcome of the election in Rich
: mond on Tuesday, Aug. %. is no
I assured for any. one candidate, it i
: agreed by those closely connects
I with local affairs
T The outcome in Richmond depend
$ on the size of the vote cast, it is ad
n mitted in most camps.
In Voters Hands.
!. Many people state that there ar
! men seeking the office of mayor VIII,
. should be defeated by all means. TIL,
: primary election is the place to ac
, complish this. If the citizens refrain
! from going to the polls on primar,
. day they can rest assured that certain
? interests and groups will induce en-
ough men and women to support thei
favored candidate to assure the nom
ination and subsequent election 70
them
Interest in primary elections seldom
approaches that of general elections
In Richmond the opposite should b.
true. AS a general rule, the resul
? of the primary election here deter
mines the ones to direct the business
. of the city for the next four years.
If the men and women of the cit,
neglect to perform a civic function il
voting at the primary system tn
s. system cannot be blamed.