davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1926-04-20

in the parliamentary elections in Eng
land and Wales in 1922. The. British
electorate is maintaining a voting
average OF 60 per cent better than
ours. In Germany in 1920 the vote
approximated rs per cent of the total
electorate And 1t Is estimated that in
1924 this was increased to 81 per cent.
In 1921 In Canada, in voting for mem
bers of the Lower House of Parlia-
ment. little over 20 per cent OF the
voting population participated. Over
| a period of 81 years Australia has
maintained an average Of somewhat
better than 20 per cent. The percent
age in Italy in 1928 was 64.
Tho perilouS aspect of this situation
lies in its insidiousness. With the
broadening Of popular powers, the di-
rect election Of practically all public
officials and the direct nomination of
most of them there is no opportunity
for an expression Of the public will
except at the ballot box. It Is perfect
ly evident that all those who have
selfish interests will go to the polls
and will be active and energetic in
securing support for their proposals
and their candidates. The average
voter supports what he believes to be
the public interest. Unless they ap-
pear on election day that interest will
go unrepresented.
Vote Importance Gains.
AS our resources increase. as the re-
latiOnship between individuals be.
comes more intricate, the Government
becomes more and more important.
We do not need to fear a frontal at
tack upon 1t. Whenever the public
scents that 1t Is In danger they will
be quick enough to give 1t adequate
support. II Is only the approach Of
some silent and unrecognized peril
that needs to give US alarm. Such a
situation will develop II the Govern
ment ceases to represent the people
because the public has become mar.
ticulate. We are placing our reliance
on the principle of self. government.
We expect there will be mistakes but
they will be the mistakes which the
people themselves make. becauese
they control their own government.
But If the people fail to vote a govern
ment will be developed which is not
their government.
IhlS Is not partisan question, but a
patriotic question. Your society, which
Is organized ito cherish, maintain and
extend the institutions OF American
freedom may we'll take a leading
part In arousing public sentiment to
the peril that arises when the average
citizen fails to vote. The women of
the country ought to be especially re-
sponsive to an appeal from you. feel
quite certain that with the men II
would be almost irresistible. The
American people have been especially
responsive in meeting the REQUIRE
ments of taxation. They ought to be
even more responsive in meeting the
requirements of voting. The whole
system Of American Government rests
on the ballot box. Unless citizens per.
form their duties there such a system
OF government is doomed to failure.
Evening star., 1926-04-20

the total possible vote. There was
one State in which the percentage
was AZ and another in which 1t was
80 From that It ran down sharply
to certain States where the candi-
dates elected received as low as Z, 8.
or 10 per cent of the total possible
vote.
If we are to keep our representative
form of government and to maintain
the principle that the majority shall
rule, 1t 'behooves us to take some
drastic action to arouse the voters
of this country to a greater interest
in their civic duties on elecation day.
Many remedies have been proposed,
from disfranchisement to criminal &C.
ton. The most practical, / believe,
however. IS for all bodies Of men and
| women interested in the welfare of
this country to join together under
some efficient form of orga nization to
correct this evil, which has been COM
ing on us for more than 40 years. but
which within the last decade has be-
come most acute.
Having in mind the poor showing
made in the presidential election OF
1920, an effort was made to get out
a larger participation on election day
in 1924. Such prominent bodies as
the National Civic Federation. the
National League of Women Voters,
the American Federation of Labor,
the Federal Council of Churches of
Christ in America and large number
of other organizations, business as
we'll as civic, each in its own way at
tempted to get the people to the
polls. Members of the Daughters of
the American Revolution took part
as individuals but not as an organi-
Zation. I understand. When the vote
was counted 1t was found the per-
centage of votes cast was very little
greater In 1924 than In 1920. One of
those most earnestly interested In the
movement writing about 1t later said;
Greater Slump Prevented.
was it a tragedy or was it a
farce-the result of the great and
more or less spectacular campaign by
voluntary organizations to get out
the vote'?" Despite all this effort,
the percentage of those voting was
arises, Had It not been for all this
work, would not the decline have
reached an extraordinary and a hu
miliatingly low point? The very fact
that there was little net increase
after all the self-sacriflcing and dis
interested work would seem to show
clearly the growing strength of the
tendency to remain away from the
polls on election day,
Led by our example, country after
country in various parts Of the world
has adopted q representative form OF
government and extended its franchise
for the election of parliamentary
bodies. There was time when Amer
lea led the world in getting out the
vote. It Is not pleasant to find that
now we have dropped far behind some
of the other nations in our participa'
ton in popular elections. We are told
that so per cent Of the men and wom'
en- qualified to vote went to the polls
Evening star., 1926-04-20

these conditions there are probably
some deeper and more fundamental
reasons.
1t was hoped that giving the vote
to women would arouse a more gen
eral interest in the obligations of
election day. That has not vet proved
to be the case. The presidential elec.
ton in 1920 was the first after the
adoption Of the universal suffrage
amendment. There is no way to d.
vide the total vote cast by the men
and women. But, after that election
some rather complicated calculations
were made based on the assumption
that the accession of women might
be presumed to double the vote. The
calculators reached the conclusion
that of the approximate $1,000, 900
votes cast only 81 per cent repre-
sented the votes Of women. Some
say the percentage Of feminine vote
was greater in 1924. Others say it
was less.
am not disposed to accept these
conclusions as altogether fair to the
women. And 1t stands to reason that
1t would take some time for them
to become used to exercising the priv.
ilege which had belonged to the men
of this country for many generations.
Ballot Box Neglected.
1t is not my purpose to draw any
distinction between the men and the
women as to the extent to which they
take advantage of their privilege and
perform: their duty at the ballot box.
But rather it is my idea to call your
attention to the startling fact that
in the Ia at two presidential elections
barely 90 per cent Of those qualified
to vote have done so. In the sena-
torial elections in off years the vot.
ing percentage is much smaller.
A published study of the senatorial
vote of 1922 revealed some astonish.
ing facts. In not few of the States
the total vote cast for senatorial can.
didates was less than so per cent of
the total possible vote. In not a single
case did the successful candidate Sc
cure anywhere near a majority of
Evening star., 1926-04-20
MARKER TO CHERRYDALE
HEROES TO BE UNVEILED

A ceremony of interest to the dele
gates attending the d. A. r. Congress
will he held Sunday at 3 o'clock, when
the Francis Wallis Chapter, D. A r.,
of Cherrydale Va, plans to dedicate
a memorial marker in honor of the
boys of Cherrydale who lost their
lives in the World War.
The marker, which consists of a
Fairfax granite boulder and bronze
tablet, on which is inscribed the names
of the Cherrydale heroes, will be
erected on the school grounds Sat
urday and kept covered until the un-
yelling exercises Sunday.
The tablet, the work of J. E. Cald-
well, official jeweler of the D. A. r.,
is on exhibition this week at Conti-
mental Hall. The boulder was con-
tributed by w. S. Hoge, jr.
An interesting program is being ar
ranged for the ceremony by a COM
mittee of the Cherrydale chapter un-
der the leadership of Mrs. Thomas S.
Wallis. regent. An invitation to at
tend is extended by the committee to
all officers and delegates attending the
congress, as well as all patriotic and
civic organizations in this vicinity.
Evening star., 1926-04-20

Have you done your bit toward the
District of Columbia World War
Memorial?
Evening star., 1926-04-20
ID. A. r. PROGRAM TOMORROW
10 O'CLOCK.

congrsss called General
Rsad4g Rsn4 Of the minutes
..n.-u,...,.- Reports Of committees continued: $50. .
Sons and Daughters Of the epubc Grant chairman
and nc a t. Mrs Frederick
Hon Cartin L president Davey Expert Co.
CORRECT Nc. ., Mrs Ale @ ,
D Tamadse chairman
Ellis Island Alfred
Genealogical research Mrs White
Recess for luncheon
sOCLOCK
Music: Wayfasers WAY Night Song EashOpe Martin
Marian Grimes nett accompanst.
Dr. William Maser Lewis president Washington University
Or, reports OF committees oqnrinud BOARD ,t
literary
nteTnaona Robe lansing eharan
Magazine Mrs charles Wits Whte San chairman
Miss Washington
White
7:So O'CLOCK.
From 7o the United States will the following
March "paughters Of the Brave" Stokes
stannard leader; Darcy
Busle call.
Music: National Society
Respectfully Wayne
w. Giles, First
Trees" Elmer Rasbach
Gail Mills Dim Hazel P
sAa'S ' Bsss Geahart Morrison ""''' -"'s
Music The United States Army Band
Evening star., 1926-04-20
w. N. NICHOLSON DIES.
Naturalized Citizen Served i,
q. s. Army in World War.

William N. Nicholson. 2s years old
a lawyer of 361s Eleventh street
died OF pneumonia in Garfield Hos.
pital yesterday.
Born in Greece. Mr.. Nicholson came
TO this country in 1918 and served
with the United States Army during
the World War. He was naturalized
in 1918
He was q graduate of the Cniver
sity Of Detroit, George Washinrtor
University and the National Univer
sity. -
Funeral services will be conducted
at the undertaking establishment OF
j. William Lee, 332 Pennsylvania
avenue, tomorrow afternoon.
Evening star., 1926-04-20

Buying of automobiles on the install
ment plan has been introduced into
the Netherlands East Indies, and is
proving popular.
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28

integrity and safety of financial in
stitution sponsored and owned by or
ganized labor.
although the bank was successful
from the start, none of its founders
foresaw the great future which lay
ahead and the speed of its growth.
We are consolidating our strength,
building up a reserve and proceeding
on very conservative course.
Zone of the unexpected contribu-
tions of our bank to labor has been
the new contracts it has given with
employing groups and with mer-
chants and thus brought about a bet
ter understanding of the aim of or
ganized labor. We have brought
about a better feeling within our com
munity between capital and labor.
In the three years just closed labor
has learned much of the ways of bank
ing and commerce and the business
world generally has learned about la
Dor. We look for closer cooperation
in the future"
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28
OLD AGE SURVEY
FOR new YORK

By international Labor News Service.
Albany, N. Y.-A joint Legislative
survey of the poor houses, almshouses
and homes for the aged and similar
institutions in this state has been
authorized by the passage in the clos
ing session of the legislature of a
resolution introduced by Assembly
man Bernhardt, of Buffalo. The in
vestigation will be made by two state
senators and three assemblymen.
The purpose of the investigation is
to formulate modern state policy for
the welfare of the aged and recon-
mending Legislation to carry such pol
icy into effect.
All the preferred measures on la
boris legislative program were defeat
ed, including the plan to establish an
exclusive state insurance fund that
would end profiteering in the injuries
of workers; the bill to make occupa-
tional disease compensate, and the
declaration that "the labor of a hu-
man being is not commodity or arti-
Gle of commerce." to be put in the
anti-monopoly bill. The 48-hour bill
and the prevailing rate of wage bill
were also defeated.
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28
BIG LABOR BANK
Becomes Trust Company
With $17,0OO,OOO
Resources

By international Labor News Service
New York City - Stock owners
mostly members of union labor, gath
cred in Washington Irving high school
to celebrate the third anniversary of
New York's largest labor bank and
the biggest supported by unions of the
American Federation Of Labor.
Peter j. Brady, president, announc
ed that the institution had been trans
formed under pressure of increasing
demands for banking service, from a
commercial and savings institution
into a trust company and that the
bank is now officially the Federation
Bank and Trust Company.
The capitalization of the trust COM
pany with undivided profits is in ex-
cess of $1,6OO,OO0, he announced, and
it's. resources more than $17,000,000.
mo bank in this country can point
to such rapid growth in so short
time," said Mr.. Brady. "Our great
success is due to the support of our
unions and with them many employ
ers', interests who have recognized the
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28
Fallacy of Lower Pay and More Employment
Theory Shown in West Virginia. Workers
Discover They Can't Live on Promises.

Tetlow, president of the district, has
surveyed the situation and found some
startling facts. Recently, he found.
the Dartmont Coal Company reduced
wages from the 1917 scale-under
which the men were supposed to re-
turn to work-to $3.50 a day for in
side labor, 30 cents a ton for loading
wide coal and 30 cents ton for load
ing narrow coal
The Blue Ridge Coal Company es-
tabllshed scale of So a day for in
side labor on a ten-hour basis with
corresponding tonnage rates. The
Round Pole Coal Company established
a 5O-cents-per-car basis, which is q
great reduction from even the 1917
scale, which is 40 per cent lower than
the Jacksonville agreement. In addi-
tion the companies have all set aside
the dead work" provisions, which
means that the miner has to perform
dead work jobs without pay.
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28
UNJUST CONDITIONS
BRING UNITED LABOR

Toledo, Ohio Organized labor is
an effect, not cause" said DR.
Horace Westwood, Unitarian minis
ter, in discussing the recent British
general strike.
The speaker said that England and
all other industrial nations need a
new sense of values. "There will be
economic war and class strife as long
as labor is regarded purely as an in
dustrial commodity, to be bought and
sold according to the law of supply
and demand" he said
Our industrial civilization has
tended to make men mere machines
for the production of wealth and still
more wealth This is the disease
which corrupts the heart of all civil
lization. We must learn, with Ruskin,
that there is no wealth save life, and
we shall have to regard industry and
production not simply as a means for
OF ministering to the fullness of life. .
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28
INVESTIGATION
By Congress of Strike Urg-
ed by Textile Workers

Washington.-Me of congress
from the New England states were
urged to demand congressional
investigation of the strike against the
American Thread Company at Will
mantle, Conn. The request was made
by Thomas F. Mcmahon, president of
the United Textile Workers, and a
committee representing the $500
strikers.
This strike has been on for more
than a year. State police are III
charge of the town, despite the work
ers' protests that law is being OBJ
served.
The company is a subsidiary of the
English Sewing Cotton Thread Com
pany of England. 1t has attempted to
cut wages although it has declared a
10 per cent dividend on it's full capt.
talization and placed ST, 1,380,000 in it's
reserve fund.
During the 10-year period ending
December 81, 1924" said Presiden:
Mcmahon, "the company has paid div
idends of $50 per cent in cash and
stock dividends. The total surplus
of the company is $l4,0O0,000, nearly
equalling its entire capitalization,
which is approximately $15,OO0,OOO,
including bonds"
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28

By international Labor News Service.
Indianapolis, Ind. = Miners who
accept the theory that reduction
in wages brings increased pay
through full time employment" have
begun to realize that they are follow
ing a will-o'-the- wisp, and that in
stead of getting more time and thus
more money, in reality they get less
time, and of course less wages.
This reduction-in-w wages and more
time" theory was put into effect in
West Virginia and propaganda to that
effect spread over all the bituminous
coal fields, especially where the United
Mine Workers had an organization.
1t was part of scheme to beat down
the union. However, the poor miner
is being sadly disillusicned
Big Wage Cuts Made
In District II, West Virginia, the
miners who returned to work on gilt
tering promises have found that they
can not eat or wear promises. Percy
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28
Miners Find Wage Slash Does Not Bring
Full Time Promised By Coal Barons
Merchants Complain Bitterly


A feature of this cutting and slash
ing is the roar that is going up from
the merchants of the larger towns and
cities of West Virginia The miner,
after getting a slash of 80 per cent
from his wages, is getting even less
working time, which means that he
has still less money to spend and his
earnings are such that he is scarcely
able to patronize the stores for any,
thing save the barest necessities. As
a result a financial depression is set
Ting over the district In addition,
the coal companies now insist that
their workmen do not patronize any
stores save company shops, and this
added to the soreness among the
business men.
Theory's Weakness Exposed
Thus the fallacy that lower wages
and more working time means better
times is being brought home to every
body in West Virginia.
The action of the coal companies
has had the effect of directing atten-
tion to the union and assisting in the
re-establishment of the United Mine
Workers, under whose regime the men
were prosperous and the shop keepers
were able to do business.
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28
Unions Charge Contractors
Stand in Way Of Peace in
Chicago Building Industry

By International Labor News Service.
Chicago.-Patrick F. Sullivan, pres
ident of the Chicago Building Trades
Council, declares that if there is a
tie-up in the building industry here
the shutdown will not be the fault
of the building trades unions.
Mr.. Sullivan said the building
trades desire harmony, retention of
the building industry's confidence, a
program of continuous employment
and desire that building be done eco
nomically.
"And the only thing that stands In
the way of agreements being consum-
mated is the fact that certain contrac-
tors, urged on by an outside organiza-
ton, want us to agree to work with
non-union men in affiliated building
trades" Mr. Sullivan asserted.
"This is contrary to fundamental
union policy, contrary to the Lands
uniform agreement, and contrary to
the way in which the contractors as
sociations conduct their own affairs
Stands for Fair Play
1--WE ask nothing for ourselves
which we are not willing to concede to
our employers.
"Practically all Chicago building
contractors are combined into the two
big associations. These powerful or
CARNATIONS, composed of employers of
all the different building trades, stand
together in any controversy, even to
the extent of declaring a general lock.
out Of all trades When they believe
it necessary they enlist the support
of the Association of Commerce, the
bankers association, the material deal
ers, the Illinois Manufacturers AS
sociation, and many other great or
ganizations Of employers, entirely
outside the building industry.
"On the other hand, the building
trades at no time have sought the sup
port of organizations whose members
We're not engaged in the building in
dustry."
Explains Strike Position
Mr.. Sullivan pointed out the build
ing trades are not asking for the right
to call sympathetic strikes, as has
been frequently stated He said all
they ask is that they shall not be re-
quired to work where non-union men
in the building trades, pointing out
the request is one Of the fundamental
principles Of organized labor every
where.
''The Lands award" Mr.. Sullivan
continued, was drafted for the en-
ployment of union men only in the
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28

er, to flooding rain falls or to drought
to late springs and early falls or to
scorching heat and soaring winds.
Bad times here are not due to inabil-
ity to produce goods. They are due
to the inability of the people of the
United States and the world to buy
the goods produced.
'"rhey are due to the inability to
sell these goods. The consumers do
not buy This does not mean that the
consumers suddenly turn ascetics. The
consumers do not voluntarily decide
to take up fasting and abstinence
They fast and abstain sometimes to
the point of starvation. But they do
it because they haven't the money to
buy the things they need or want.
apart from the foreign marke1,
which in late years we have come to
rely upon very greatly, various sec
tions of American people are so han
dicapped that they can not buy the
u tiSisiClioouS pualielly VI Soooo IHC
United States produces.
Farmers are still but slightly re-
lieved and the prices of their products
are going down again. City wage
workers produce an enormous amount
of goods, but do not get enough
money back to buy their share of the
goods; possibly half of them Rot
even receiving a living wage.
Most salaried workers are in a
similar position. Small business men
are being crushed by trusts and chain
stores. Among. investors and stock
holders, certain of them are highly
privileged and get the higher rate of
return.
'The chief trouble is that our in
dustrial and agricultural system turns
out an enormous amount of goods,
but in the producing of it the great
majority receive too little money to
buy back their share of what they
produce"
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28
NEW ENGINES OF WAR

New York-"The center of gravity
regarding disarmament has shifted
in recent years." said DR.. Nicholas
Murray Butler, president of Column
bia University, in an address in this
city.
I'VE must now reflect on the prob
lens arising not out of armies and
navies, but out of air forces and the
resources and inventions of modern
chemical industries" he said.
armies and navies are obviously
military, but air forces and chemical
industries are not. They are part Of
the organization and apparatus of
modern industry, yet they may be
transferred in a twinkling of the eye
into the deadliest instruments of COM
bat"
The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-05-28
United Mine Workers Ask
Court to Stop Operators
From Violating Contracts

Workers felt it was time to call halt
Members of Local Unions 4738 and
4427, employed by the company, en-.
gagged counsel and bill of complaint
was prepared and filed in the circuit
court of Monongalia county, West
Virginia, asking that the company be
enjoined from repudiating its contrcat
and from evicting its employees from
the company's houses.
A similar complaint has been filed
against the Connellsville By-Product
Company and the Arkwright Coal
Company, owned by the Paisley inter
ests, also of Cleveland.
The suits will eventully show
whether the United Mine Workers
have an equity in court in the mat
ter of contract reputation and if sue
cessful will put new phase on the
subject of contract breaking. 1t will
give the union a chance to collect
damages from operators who wilfully
violate a wage contract.