The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-10-09
A DUTY

A NEGLECTED DUTY
Official election returns continue tc
furnish striking proof of the indiffer-
ence Of the people to their govern
ment. The largest vote ever cast in a
presidential election was cast in 1920.
Yet only AZ per cen of the legal vot-
ems in the United States exercised the
right of citizenship in that election.
1t is an alarming fact, disclosed by
official election returns, that very
seldom do more than 80 per cent of
the total voting population take part
in elections which determine who
shall be state officers. In some states
within the last two years less than 20
per cent of the total voting population
participated in the election of United
States senators. In many cases only
ten to twelve per cent of the citizens
took part in their local elections.
Those who complain about the man
ner in which their local governments
are run should conduct a searching
self-examination to ascertain whether
or not they have done their duties as
citizens.
There is another phase of this pub
rights and duties of citizenship. May
it not be likely that some of this in
difference is due to the growth OF
government paternalism? During the
1a-@ r0-r VIC tho d0ofrinn hoe fOI1nd
favor that not only public troubles,
but business troubles, and in some
measure, personal troubles should be
handled by some government agency.
running to Washington or to their
state capital with their troubles in
stead Of first attempting something in
the way of se1f-he1p. Communities
have expected state or federal gov
ernments to do things for them which
they should do for themselves.
State or federal agencies have been
expected by the individual to compel
him and his neighbors to observe laws
and regulation which he n his
n%eighbors should observe Of their
own free will. State and federal agen-
cies have been expected to assume in
a large measure the duties and re-
sponsibiIities of parents.
- "a "a
REGISTRATION OF ALIENS
The proposed bill providing for reg
of all aliens in America,
which Solicitor General Beck states
will be pressed on the next Congress,
much in the way of safe
guarding the nation against subver-
sive "red" activities by troublous
newcomers from abroad. The absence
If such provision in the past has $
seriously hampered the government
n running Town such reds. Once l
lcross the threshold, where many 9
# them have worked for the over .
brow of the government by violence t
have generally proved themselves I
Unworthy of residence here. Regis I
would enable the government
0 follow the newcomers and to in t
orm itself as to what they are doing. s
'hus the problem of dealing with a
red' agitation would be much simp- L
fied.-Washington Post. q
"a pa "a i,
According to Mark Sullivan, brilli- p
MT political writer, republicans are t6
asting about for a rival for President
oolidge, Notwithstanding any def h
tie idea of defeating or trying to de- gt
at the president for the republican CT
0mination next, but in order to have eI
timber ready in case it II
be determined at the last min pt
e that Coolidge is not the logical te
ndidate. In other words, if they ln
ere led to believe that Coolidge :
light not show the vote-getting
rength that some other man might o.
-llivan says that regardless of con
ions, Johnson Of California will be
candidate for the nomination, and DR.
his California friends are now NTh
busy working out his dl'
an
full
20 "a Fa dal
Those who have based their argu- pro
nts about international and domes- f.
economics on exports of farm 10
ducts might DO well to check up { f.
some Of the figures. Statistics TIL
w that the exports OF leading am
erican ~foodstuffs in the IL months sui
June 80 had a wholesale value VIII
1852, 000, 900, which is just about new