The Natchitoches enterprise., 1921-12-29
The Ballot a Cure, But also as
an Obli8atiOn as Well

If America (the United States) ever
goes crumbling away to political and
economic ruin the fault will lie not from
the enemies without but the citizens
within. not guilty o. crime commission
but guilty OF as grave fault, omis-
sion of the very duty that gave them
their freedom.
If all the blood and tears, all the
great effort and unse!tish love and de-
votlon that has gone into the erection
Of the United States is to be wasted
the fault will lie at the door of ycu
and your neighbor and history in the
centuries to come will point pitiless
finger at you and yours and declare
that the greatest advance in human
government the world ever knew was
lost because you and yours failed to Go
your duty, a simple, easy, duty that
should be joy and a matter of untold
pride.
America today stands in the path of
destructive force. Not whirlwind
to tear and rend but slow, creeping.
insidious, relentless force that attacks
the very heart of your country, drains
the strength and power and hopes and
dreams Of their being and will never
pause in its blight until you and yours
have been aroused.
Today in the United States, where
popular government has reached its
highest development, large portion of
our citizens have abandoned the effort
to exercise any-Of their political rights.
So, IN increased measure, the urgent
need exists for bringing ht me to every
individual his own respc sibility for
self assertion in political lie.
In war the qualified man who fails to
| take arms in defense of his country
becomes abhorrent in the eyes Of his
decent fellows. The obligation to take
| arms at such time is no greater than
l the obligations of peace IN the life of
any good citizens. If the necessity
| arises, he renders this service in the
discharge of his civic duties. But this
! is not true of all. Every country has
| its Bergdoll and every age it's slackers.
They occupy an unenviable place in
public opinion; their children will live
to blush at mention of their names.
But with the political slackers many
Of them are respected citizens. We
find them in every community; the
business man who Is too busy to regis
ter: the working man who will not take
time from his tasks to cast his ballot;
the housewife who thinks that wo.
mans place is in the house; the society
woman who cannot be bothered; the
average Of Tom, Dick and Harry who
doesn't take enough interest in the
welfare OF their communities to keep
Informed Of the time and place of the
elections. All of these constitute an
alarming proportion of our adult citi-
xenry who haYe right to exercles q
n share in the direction of our political
i destinies, but do not.
N There is not an i'll in American life
4 today which can not be cured, and cur
i ed promptly, If each voter will inform
i himself as to issues with the means at
his immediate disposal. THERE'S not
weakness in our social STRUCTURE
,a which cannot be bolstered II individual
q ly and conscientiously we try to dis
= charge the obligations and exercise the
Il privileges granted as by the Constltu-
ton of our United States.
y Political bosses, machine rule and
i graft are impossible in that communi-
ty where the citizens are awake to
their responsibility; where they mea-
sure up to the obligation resting upon
the individual. In every community
l there IS tnaC element, Always al VIC
h minority but bound together by selfish
Interests, thriving upon corruption OF
| public officials and special privileges,
/ the very existence of which is a mali
.'ous menace to democratic institutions.
In the lowest classes of society there
ia a dangerous criminal element, ever
crou ehed to spring at the throat OF de-
cent .society and to fatten itself from
the r,eults of riot, turmoil and de-
struction.
Well organized governments are cop
stantlv alert to curb these elements.
Thew have but little hope of success by
an omen breach Of the pace. Driven to
cover and cowed to sullen Observance
If the more obvious forms Of law and
y, der. they work to bring about their
enn's by more devious routes. These
harrk7 partisans are present in force at
Tia "a lie. They are never too busy to
csst ~ Is. ir ballots. They are never to
h,sv - swish time and effort tor the
c:n3;dsteA. who will best serve their
neads Ii ey are clamorously in line
when the rewards are being distributed.