Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1922-11-10
From The Study Desk

Early election returns for Middle
bury indicate that somewhat less than
five hundred voters of the town cared
enough about the issues involved to
present themselves at the polls on cleo
ton day. Various conclusions have
been drawn from that fact. The Opt
mistiC Observer assures us that it is
almost invariably the revolutionary
party who make the really serious ef
fort to win while the conservatives
are likely to lack appreciation Of the
real necessity of action, and therefore
stay at home, From this point Of
view, so the Optimistic Observer
argues, we may rejoice at the showing
OF last Tuesday. We now know the
approximate maximum strength OF the
| Vets, while we may comfortably re-
| fleet that the folks who stayed Mt home
were mostly Drys. The Pessimist, on
| the other hand, declares that whenever
real moral issue presents itself for
decision at the polls, very consider
able number Of people dodge the issue
! by staying at home There is, he in
sists, a lamentable lack of moral back
bone in American citizenship today.
A third conclusion is that OF the Com
placent Politician who tells us that the
issues were not very serious this year,
anyway; that most folks who stayed
at home had more important business
there; and that the whole answer to
the comparatively light vote is found
in the indifference of the citizens. To
which The Civil War Veteran replies
| with some warmth that any citizen
able to come to the polls, who fails to
vote OIL election day, should be fined
for neglect of duty.
Doubtless American citizenship
means more to men who have followed
the Stars and Stripes through the
smoke of battle than to the average
citizen whose most exciting experience
of patriotic fervor consists in clipping
the coupons from Liberty bonds Be
that as it may the Student confesses
to some sympathy with the Veterans
position Most of us are quite ready
to enjoy the privileges of citizenship,
while we delegate our political respon-
sibilties to others Even the war eX-
periences through which we as nation
so recently passed have left us
strangely cold to the real meaning, to
say nothing OF the potential POSSIBLE
tiles, OF the American Flag as one Of
the worlds great banners. In any
. event, account for the comparatively
Z light vote on the basis of any of the
loI
, fact that the Veteran had a right to ac-
cuse his fellow citizens of culpable neg
lect of a public duty May it not be a
fair question if the right OF suffrage
ought not to be denied to all who de
liberately refuse to accept its respon-
sibilities?
/ In this connection the Student has
been interested to find a considerable
number of ladies who are not awaiting
themselves of the privilege they have
so lately acquired. Some of them say
, frankly that they were not interested
i'll the suffrage movement and now find
difficulty i'll interesting themselves in
political affairs Some assert that
woman's place of influence is still in
& the home circle Now the Student is
as much a champion of the influence
of the home as any of his friends, but
S the fact remains that woman has been
/ granted the right to vote and with
p that right goes a grave responsibility
that may not be denied He is quite
u inclined to feel that the woman who
r really appreciates her duties and res.
o possibilities as a mother, will be tho