Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-11-04
COOLIDGE PLEADS
FOR RECORD VOTE
Urges Every Citizen Cast
Ballot as Conscience Di-
reefs, in Speech.

President Coolidge in a talk over
the radio last night to the largest
audience ever addressed on one cir
cult called upon the American citi-
zens to go to the polls today and
make their choice of public officers
solely in the light of their own
conscience.
The President appealed to the
voters to approach the ballot box "in
the spirit that they would approach
sacrament, and there, disregardinE
all appeals to passion and prejudice
dedicate themselves truly and wholly
TO the welfare of their COUNTRY
lie declared the decision should not
be so directed that a minority would
control the Government. and ask ed
that every one who has the right to
vote, without reference to party,
exercise that right tomorrow.
Text of Address.
The text of the Presidents address
follows:
THE institutions of our country
rest upon faith in the people. No de-
, ciSion that the people have made in
any great crisis has ever shown that
faith in them has been misplaced. 1t
is impossible to divorce that faith
which we have in others from the
faith which We have in ourselves
The right action of all of us is made
up of the right action of each one
of us. Unless each of us is deter
mined to meet the duty that comes to
us. we can have no right to expect
that others will meet the duties that
come to them. Certainly we cannot
expect them so to act as to save us
from the consequences of having
failed to act. The immediate and
pressing ALLEGATION for Tomorrow is
that each one of us who is qualified
shall vote. That is a function which
cannot be del egated. which cannot
be postponed. The opportunity will
never rise again. If the individual
fails to discharge that obligation.
the whole Nation will suffer a loss
, from that neglect.
America, more thoroughly than
eny other country, has adopted a
system of Self-government. Some
times we refer to it as the rule of
the people. Certainly it is a system
under which there is every oppor-
tunity for elf-government and every
encouragement for the people to rule.
Ours has been described as Il govern
ment of public opinion. of course,
public opinion functions all the time.
1T no doubt has its influence on the
actions of the executive and legis-
lative branches of our Government,
and even though it be imperceptible
; on any given occasion. it is prob
ably, as time passes, reflected in the
courts. But all the influence of pub
lie opinion, all the opportunity for
self-government through the rule of
the people. depends upon one single
factor. That is the ballot box. If
the time comes when our citizens fai
to respond to their right and duty.
individually and collectively. intelli-
gently and effectively at the ballot
box on election day, I do not know
what form Of government Will be sub
stituted for that which We at pres
ent have the opportunity to enjoy.
but | do know it will no longer be
rule of the people-it will no longer
be self-government. The people of
our country are sovereign. If they
do not vote they abdicate that sov-
ereignty, and they may be entirely
sure that if they relinquish it other
forces will seize it, and if they fail to
govern themselves some other pow