The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-27
CHAMBER BEHIND
 MOVE TO ATTRACT VOTERS TO POLLS
Would Combat Indiffer- ence Of Citizens To Se-
 lection Of Officials


 At the suggestion. of the Lawyers club, a non-pattisan organization of New York, the Chamber of Commerce will launch this fall a campaign to at- tract citizens to the polls. This move ment is strictly without it's political aspects, according to leaders, and is inauguratedt merely to combat the growing indifference of voters to the selection of public Officeholders.
 Arguments for such a drive were given the Birmingham chamber in ma terial emanating from the Lawyers club. An address by Robert c. Nor ris, president of the body, graphically illustrates. the situation. Portions of this talk follow:
 ''In the extremely important presi- denti4l campaign of 1920, only approx imately one-half of the voting popula- tion went to the polla-26, 713, ,832 be- ing the total boiled by both parties, and 25,7O6, ,063 the number of quail fled citizens who did not vote. Only about one-half of our citizens of Yot- i9g capacity at that strenuous time ap- peared to be interested in our govern ment. Since then, in such elections as have been held, there has been even less intrest shown. Elections held in 1922 in over 30 states for the office of United States senator exhibit an astounding indifference on tho part of the people. In one state only seven per cent of the eligible vote brought about the election of senator. All signs indicate that the gap between the people and their government is widen ing and if this tendency continues 1t will result in disaster.
 Agents of People
 Government in. it's primary sense means more than mefe government of- ficialdom. Those holding public office are the temporary agents in fact of the people at large who are really the gov ernment. Sometimes those holding public office think they are the govern ment and in this they are mistaken To those in public office is delegated the making of and execution of laws regulating the life, health, happiness and business welfare of the people at large. The people create a trust their agents administer It. 1t will be well administered only when the people are alive to what they want, are keenly sensitive of their responsibility to the present and to the future, and see to it that their agents rightly represent them and fully realize their obligation. z '"The constitution did not recognize political parties. It was not necessary. People divide socially, mentally, psy- ehologically, and the two great parties following the constitution naturally be- came organized as the citizens took diff ferent views regarding the administra- tiOn of the government. It is needless to argue whether political parties are good or bad. They are the natural se- quence of our form of government.
 ''In its true sense, a political party is an organization of citizens who act under common leadership because they believe these principles are essen tial to the well-being of their country. Their activities are directed to secur- ing control of. public affairs in order that they may make their principles effective in government.
 CO-Oporation Needed
 "our government being a party gov ernment, the citizen of voting age must necessarily affiliate with some party or he can have no effective manaEefnent of his country. If he gets inside of one of the parties he can exercise a ii- rect influence upon it. He can per form his part in selecting its leaders, in directing its policies, in naming it's candidates. He can become a unit in a tremendous, fAr-Eeaching mechanism,
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