Evening star., 1926-10-12
The American Electorate.

President Coolidge's expression OF
desire for a larger representation OF
public preference at the polls Is not
to be attributed to a partisan wish
for a majority for his party in Con-
gress as a result OF the elections next
month. He speaks as the Chief Ex-
ecutive of the country. not as Re-
publican. There Is urgent need Of a
greater response by the electorate to
the summons to manifest the popular
WILL.
At lhe last two elections only fifty
per cent Of those eligible to vote cast
their ballots. This is a poor showing
in a republic with a practically uni
versal franchise. Does 1t arise from
lack OF interest, Indifference to the
welfare Of the country? Or does 1t
come from a feeling that the indi-
vidual vote is Of no moment in the
mass Of ballots?
The individual vote is what makes
up the total. Many candidates have
been elected to office by what has
come to be known as the 'stay at
home vote" Unworthy men have
been named to office because Of the
feeling on the part of conscientious
electors that there was no use in
their going to the polls. Political
craftsmen count upon this lethargy
or feeling Of hopelessness to work
their schemes, and many of the ills
that this country has suffered have
come from their success.
Particularly In municipal politics
is the indifference Of the average citi-
zen to the value and the duty Of the
franchise a factor in misgovernment
There is nothing that the machine"
that dominates a city fears so much
as a thorough arousal Of public in
terest in an election, with a large
registration and vote.
Majority rule can be assured only
jf the people respond to the call to
cast their ballots, not merely in cleo
tions, but in primaries and, in those
States where primaries do not pre-
of delegate choosing. The records of
American elections show that most of
the officials, local, State and Federal,
have been chosen from the beginning
by less than majority of the poten-
tial voters. 1t was thought that with
the enlargement of the franchise by
the nineteenth amendment the per-
centage of possible voters going to the
polls would be materially increased.
but that has not vet developed.
Lately movements have been or
ganized to get out the vote" regard.
less of pNtisanship. Associations
have undertaken this task with a con-
siderable but not yet satisfactory
measure of success. There is much
inertia to. be overcome. There is
much education to be conducted
among not merely the backward citi.
zens but the intelligent and progress.
sive. They must he shown by general
precept and concrete illustration that
their interests as we'll as their obliga-
tions as citizens require them to reg
lister and to go TO the polls on cleo
tion day, whatever the issues, who
ever the candidates and whatever the
party to which they belong Even in
those States and in those cities where
the results may be deemed a fore
gone conclusion citizens should reg
lister themselves and should vote.
The fact that representative gov.
ernment has been maintained in this
country for a century and IA half with
minority expression of public will
at elections does not justify the CON
clusion that it can continue on that
basis.