New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-10-05
..lIrsr HUMAN


A little story appeared the other
day telling OF the busy housewife
who was visited by a group OF wom'
en- workers on election day and
urged 10 20 10 the polls and vote. OF
course the political workers wanted
her 10 vote because she was known
20 favor their party. II happened TO
be the Republican party but that
not matter.
The woman was very busy with her
houscwork; nevertheless, of course.
she should have gone and voted for
the candidates she thought most
worthy 20 hold the offices IN question.
whether they were Republicans or
Democrats. That. too. is beside the
question. She did not want TO stop
lcr work long enough to go and vote.
Tho political workers were insstent.
They hated to see vote for their Re-
publican candidate lost. They urged
her to do what was her duty.
Finally, on the third call, the house
wife consented to go and vote. She
stopped her work and went. When
she returned she inquired of the
workers naively, Are you really in
terested in how / vote?" Receiving
an affirmative reply she went on,
"wel. / voted the straight demo-
cratic ticket. Perhaps in the future
you will let me vote when and how
/ ! see fit.''
Naturally the Republican women
workers were chagrined. They were
! doing excellent work, perhaps, in try
ing to rouse the woman's interest in
public affairs7-if they verb doing that
rather than trying merely to get an
other vote for their candidates. But
they went about it the wrong way.
They tried to compel the wbman to
do something she did not want TO do.
They probably aggrieved her. They
are sorry now.
Some might say that action was es-
sentially feminine-the voting in a
way the women workers who had
pestered her did not want her to vote.
Those who have more respect for
women's character-or those who be-
lieve that women and men do not diff
fer great deal in this particular will
say that the action was not especially
feminine but was, rather, decidedly
human. The people who try to force
another, man or woman, to do some
thing are apt to be sorry. Human
beings hate being forced to take
stand that is prescribed for them.
They rebel at being told this thing
, is right; do it," Many people may be
made to take certain action merely
by showing them the wisdom of a
be able to force them to that action
by commanding them to take it. We
arc all like that.
And therein lies the Significance of /
the little story of the woman who was
practically compelled to vote. Often
II is the method of supporting a cause |
that makes the cause unpopular
rather than any Inherent weakness IN
the cause itself. Often trying to force
people to support movement will in
spire them TO oppose the movement |
violently. The moment you tell a |
child, even, not TO DO a thing which |
the child has never thought of doing, |
the doing of it became Immediately
attractive. Ten to one he'll do it.
And we are all children. 1t is best
TO show the wisdom of certain |
course; TO make rules that will illus |
trate the wisdom of that course; to |
allow US to sec for ourselves the ben
efits that may come in pursuing such
course. Then, If it is a wise course,
VIC will pursue it gladly and will do
all we can to influence our friends to
follow the same path
But place high walls on either side
OF us and point to the path straight
ahead, saying that we have simply |
got to walk down that path, and the |
first thing we will do. whether we
had intended to take that path or not,
will be to glance up at the top of the |
walls which hold us In and try to
plan how we may scale those walls.
Whether prohibition is a good thing |
or bad thing, the people will never
be forced to follow willingly the path
leading to it by the present methods
of enforcement under the volstead
law and the interpretations of it being
made by the enforcement agents.