The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-21
NEGLEcrING OUR CIVIC DUTY

| Tn recent eQ1t0rlaIS The ABe-1efaIQ mas
 sought to stress the importance of civilian activity in public affairs. It was urged that civic organizations and individuals make it their business to support as candidates for public office men of ability, fofce and in- tegrity, and work for their election. Some facts are interesting in this connection. For long time much dissatisfaction was ex- pressed the country over with the conven- tion system of nominating candidates, on the ground that politicians named for office other politicians, instead of candidates who are qualified to perform the duties. Thus po- litical machines continued in control of pub lie affairs, and system of minority rule was perpetuated, with the people having little or no voice in the administration of the public business.
 The people more recently have been allowed to express themselves in primaries. How they have exercised their privileges as citizens, both in general elections and in primaries, may be seen from survey of the record. In the 1920 presidential election, in which the largest vote in the history of the country was boiled, the number of electors who neg lected to vote for every hundred votes cast was ninety-six, nearly half of the whole. Less than half of the potential voters of the United States perform their duty. The show ing in different states varies In Kentucky, where the proportion of non-voters is lowest,  twenty-four stay away from the polls for every hundred who vote. In Pennsylvania for every hundred voters a hundred and Michigan the ratio is eighty-three stayat- homes to every hundred voters. The number of non-voters in some of the Southern states is six or seven times the number of voters To every hundred who voted in the presiden- tial election of 1920 in Mississippi, there were 736 who stayed at home.
 As for primaries, in Ohio, of each twelve citizens who were qualified to vote in a re- cent primary to nominate party delegates and spokesmen, one went to the polls. The other eleven were too busy with their per sonal affairs, or more probably too indiffer- ent, to perform this elementary political Ob- ligation. Yet, they will doubtless apply the increasing habit of criticizing the quality of candidates or party principles, without con- demning themselves for neglect of the fran chise. In the senatorial primaries of 1922 the highest percentage of electors who exercised their voting privilege in any state was thirty three per cent. Q In Alabama the potential vote in 1920, prior to the enfranchisement of women, estimating ex-sOldiers of the World War, Confederate veterans and citizens more than forty-five years old, was about 2S0OOO, or more than twice as many votes as were cast in the senatorial primary.
 What fine opportunity such situation offers organized and special-interest minor ities What chance for selfish professional politicians! What an injustice to the people for which half or more of them are respon- sible The inevitable result is that system of blocs is running the country-the farm bloc, the labor bloc, the bonus bloc, the pro hibition bloc, various organizations, the local DOUIlcAl muCuIHSSs 4hCAC 10 OhS way SS block the special-interest groups with axes to grind and hammers to wield. It is through general vote More than half the citizens of the United States, including large per centage for whom decent government has a direct interest, are guilty of lip service when they laud representative institutions, then fail to support them in the only way that lies in their power.
 The argument that in states solely in con trol of one party there is no need to vote be- cause the result of the election will be un- affected by large attendance at the polls is a spacious plea. If the non-yoter attended to his duties by familiarizing himself with public issues and voting according to his con victions," says the Detroit Free Press, many a bad state government which now flourishes under the control of political rings and bosses, would be upset, and many an un- desirable candidate who now slips through would be compelled to remain in private life" True There is only one remedy for political bossism with it's extravaganza, inefficiency and graft The voters possess that remedy Few men or women are elected to office in America by a majority of their constituents Many are elected by little more than twenty five per cent, some by even less. The stay at-homes can control any election.
 An enlightened democracy presuppOses a general participation in governmental affairs Suffrage is no less a responsibility than privilege. The habitual shirker who strikes directly at the foundation of his government in times of peace has no right to condemn the stacker in times of war Nor has he & right to criticize the character or qualifica- tions of those who are chosen for positions of trust in the public service. His cOndemna- tion of discouraging crime records in America and the failure in administration of justice and enforcement of law is an indictment of himself There is much talk from time to ,ho,,t ba o1;ap opd