The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-10-13
VOTE AND ENDURE
Chicago Tribune)

|
| In the national election Of 1921
only 40 per cent of qualified citi.
zens performed their obvious cleo.
tOral GLty. How long can a re.
public run with intelligence and
| safety when half the voters neg
lect to perform the primary serv-
ice of citizenship?
The state of Washington is con
Quoting gOto-the-polls cam.
paign. In Pennsylvania the
League of Women Voters, with an
outfit of six official cars and es-
cort, is carrying get-out-the-vote
message to 90 cities and towns.
The women started from good
spot, Independence Square. They
are out to preserve what their
fathers in that place once took up
arms to secure.
The Association of Commerce
knows no political parties, but
from year to year is much con-
cerned in the obligation of it's
members and others to be true
citizens by exercise of the virtues
OF forethought and action. The
administration of President Dawes,
carrying on in the spirit of his
predecessors, has as these col
umns show this week, organized a
gO-to-the-polls movement of .ex-
ceptional efficiency. Every trade
and professional subdivision has
been drawn into service TO extend
the gospel of the commonweal -
vote!
OF court this is the year when
political slackers are not likely to
be multitude. Business has vi
tai interests in the maintenance Of
the Constitution and avoidance Of
political experiments. None the
less, no business man can safely
neglect registration and voting be-
cause he thinks times are getting
better, that the normal and con-
sentative will again win, and any
way that there will be enough
conjured up from heaven knows
where to do the voting.
The mobilization for the city's
and nations welfare which the
council of the ways and means
committee is promoting calls for
a 100 per cent degree of coopera-
ton on the part Of the civic mill
tia and Of the great mass of citi-
Zens to whom an urgent call is
now addressed.
A recent book issued by the
of Chicago Press, writ
ten by Professor Charles E. Mer-
riam, a well-known figure in Chi
cagO government. and Harold
Foote Gosnell. instructor in poll
teal science in the same institu
ton, is entitled "Non-Voting !;
Causes and Methods of Control"
Here is study OF about 5000 non
voters made by various devoted
students Of the social sciences in
the University of Chicago, who |
spent many warm days walking
the street and climbing stairs in
order to establish face to face
contacts with non-voters."
The authors of the book found
that the ways of controlling nom
voting are as numerous as the
considered. Some are |
simple and others extraordinarily |
The authors also found |
that, in view of the large number |
Of voters disfranchised by regis
tration requirements. it is clear
that the whole registration system
Is in urgent need of overhauling.
Disbelief in voting, thinks Pro-
lessor Merriam and his associates,
in so far as it is based upon OPP ,
position to womans suffrage, will
die away as the community be-
comes habituated to woman's vot-
ing. 1t is believed that simpler
and shorter ballot, better organ
zation Of information regarding
The essential issues in campaigns
md widespread publicity cam
paigns explaining the technique OF
voting will all be helpful in over
obstacles to the discharge
If this duty of the citizen.