Evening star., 1924-07-20
HALF FOFU.S.FAUSTOVOTE
j MENACINC CIVIC WELFARE
Largest Number of Ballots Ever Cast i'm
l92O-Where Greatest Negligence
Prevails.

| cowboy and Mexican element affect vot-
ing efficiency. The antithesis to the
stay-at-home condition shown in Ver-
mont is the doubtful" State of West
Virginia, where stay-at-homes and alb
sentees number only 40 to 100 votes
cast, or that ear-neighbor of Vermont,
the State of New Hampshire, which is
close enough politically to reduce the
stay-at-homes to 4S per 100 votes.
Part Of the stay-at-home total should
be charged to absenteeism. These in
clude Federal and State officials and
employees, Army and Navy men. stu
| dents and travelling men and citizens
temporarily absent on business or
travel. Most of the States have recently
tried to overcome the loss of absentee
votes by enacting absentee voting laws
But few of these laws are efficient in
reaching the result desired, for the SIM
pie, definite reason that the absentees
are usually required to register in per-
son in order to vote by mail. 1t may be
as difficult for the absentees-for ex-
ample, citizen in Federal. civic, Army
or Naval service-to go to his home pre-
cinct to register as to go there and vote
AS a consequence there is little ques-
tion that at least IS per cent Of the
value of the absentee voting laws is
nullified by stringent registration laws.
This loss appears to be unnecessary, and
would seem to be easily remedied. When
the absentee applies for a ballot to be
sent to him 10 to 80 days before election
by mail he has to go before a notary
and swear to all the requirements called
for at registration, and this affidavit
answers all the requirements of regis
tration. Were the State absentee cleo
ton laws amended and this preliminary
affidavit recognized as a registration
the absentee loss would be greatly re-
duced.
Could Change Results.
The fact stands, that the enormous
stay-at-home vote of today is suffi-
cient to change the result of the
presidential election in vast major
ity of the States. The stay-at-home
army of 100000 can elect or defeat
any candidate. If 10 per cent OF the
stay-at- homesin "rock-ribbed' States
were colonized in "doubtful States
they would decide any close national
contest. Upon the ability and EN-
cheney Of National and State commit
tees in mobilizing the stay-at-homes
and converting them into active cleo
tors hangs many an election.
Second in importance to waking up
the stay-at-homes is the naturaliza-
ton of 100000 foreign-born citizens
of voting age. Patriotic efforts are
being made to this end, but the move
ment should become national and
have a broader and more earnest sup
port. If dangerous propaganda Is
fomented against American lnstitu-
tions, its principle cradle will be the,
alien and unnaturalized citizenship
Rut stay-at-homes would do well to
ask themselves: How much more
patriotic am /, who hold ballot ana
do not use it, than the alien who does
not vote because he is not yet quail
fied?"
Now a National Problem.
The stay-at-home vote has become
in it's immensity a national problem.
1t is a puzzle to all political parties.
1t is a subject which is everybodys
business in general. and most vital
and national in it's consequences, but
nobody's business in particular. Po-
litical parties and candidates do more
or less to get out the stay-at-home
vote. But there is a limit to their
activities, namely. the enactment OF
increasingly stringent corrupt prac-
tices" acts limiting the expenditures
involved in locating and transporting
the stay-at-homes to the polls.
1t would seem that Federal and
State action of a more geenral char
acter and a thorough-going national
campaign is required to convert this
dormant army into a live and patri-
otto citizenship.
Those interested in civic welfare
and the perpetuity Of American insti-
tutions can find abundant opportu-
nifty for serious study in statistics
covering the absentees, stay-at-homes
and unnaturalized and illiterates. 1t
offers a field for great patriotic work.