Evening star., 1922-04-30

generous as to assert that large
portion Of the stay-at-home vote Is
lrAoeable' to the women Tor In
1912, which was prior TO the wom-
ans suffrage amendment, as many
voters stayed away from the polls
- there were votes cast for Wood.
row Wilson. My point Is that II
the government OF this country
ever falls into dishonest hands. d.
rect reason therefor may be traced
to the slothfulness and indifference
OF the voters.
+ *A 4
It may seem presumptuous. but l
venture an answer to the query OF
Miss Fawn Lppincott by suggesting
that the next thing for women to do,
now that they have the ballot. is to
inform themselves touching political
questions and to cast their ballots.
Talleyrand Is reputed to have said:
with time and patience the mui1
berry leaf 10 turned into satin l
make no distinction whatever be-
tween men and women as voters. -!
recognise equal honesty and equal
intelligence. But the ballot 10 q new
thing for woman. She Is likely 70
be Influenced by statements or events
about which man would care noth-
ing. One very intelligent woman told
me that she voted for Mr.. Hughes
because Woodrow Wilson was born
in England. Another told mo that
she voted for a certain mayo1lty
candidate because his opponent Was
going to authorize household stills
II elected. Now that women are part
Of the electorate OF America, they
owe it to themselves and to the
country to obtain exact Information
and to bring to bear upon puDlc
questions as much OF judicial atti-
tude as they are capable Of.
What about all these voters, male
and female, who stay away from the
polls and discharge their. duties OF
ministration in power? A democracy
cannot be based upon rights alone.
Rights and duties are never 80 inter-
twined as they are in public anairs.
The very supposition or claim OF a
right logically carries with It con-
fession Of duty growing out OF that
right. / was never willing to con.
sent that the ballot Is q natural
right. Upon the contrary, always
believed that suffrage was q duty
which the state imposed upon those
for the best interests OF all. But
my theory has gone into the lumber
room of history. America has sided
herself with proponents Of that the
ory that the right to vote is nat
ural and inherent right. However,
II il not mine to complain. This Is
not the only time that the Judgment
of the world has been opposed to my
private opinion.
/ have never cared SO much
about who voted as to how they
voted: not SO much about the sit
> uation in life rs the outlook upon
surroundings. I am one OF those.
however. who believe that a gov
ernment should not leave q Job
half completed, that when 1t starts
a thing it should go through with
1t. Having conferred suffrage upon
men and women. the general gov
ernment should now see to 1t fhat
they use it. When a child calls
for food he should be compelled to
remain at the table until he has
consumed 1t.
II the voter who is physically
able but wholly unwilling to take
a hand in nominating and electing
oflcials fails to vote he should
be debarred from the right to vote
for a period thereafter. This pen
atty would teach him that this Is
his government. that he owes to it
a certain portion of his time and
thought, and that its success de-
pends upon his exercise of good
Judgment with reference to public
affairs, II a voter has no greater
ambition than to neglect his duty
and then stand on the street cor
nsr and cuss the government he
should be placed in quarantine un-
til all danger Of infection has pass
ed and kept there until he has been
restored to q condition of normal
political health, Treatment Of this
kind would have scriptural war
rant. for from him that hath not
shall be taken away even that
which he kath."