Milford chronicle., 1926-04-30
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
Written for Milford Chronicle by
Frank T. Litschert

rrhnk H LlJScneIb
Before the World War most of our
foreign carrying was done by for
eign ships, more than fifty per cent
of it for example by the ships of
Great Britain. Since the war our
ships are doing more of our carry
ing than is being done by English
vessels. And of course the merchant
marines of other countries have suf-
fered proportionately so far as doing
Uncle Sans hauling for him is con-
cerned.
Now European nations would of
course be glad to get this business
back. They have found it too big a
lob to buck against the United
States government but have hoped
to do more against private ilnes
Aving the American flag. Reahzlns
this danger Congress recently ap-
propriated $1O,OO0,OOO to hight thlS
sort of competition.
Every American who understands
the situation will heartily approve
of this appropriation. AS one writer
ON economics recently put 1t; tor
every dollar our people lose in MAIN
tanning ships in foreign trade for-
eioners know, if we do not, the peo-
nIe save ten dollars in lower frelghI
Tates-what our government loses
20 oov,Io cave over and over
again"
And so when you are complaining
about the cost of rubber tires anu
tbe nrice of coffee, don't forget that
if we allow our merchant marine 10
on To the Junk pile, within the next
few wears foreign shipping monop-
oIies will rise to plunder us, and TO
raise the cost of living by lncreaslns
the freight rates on various conlllo rI
dities. Some people are not impress
cd Inv the value of merchant ma
Tine in time of war because they
b1indlv hone we may never have an
otber war. But they ought to be I'M
Dressed by what foreign monopohes
can do to their pocketbooks.
| -:
cuool,inq tn the Daughters of the
American Revolution recently FIes-
ident Coolidge again called attentIOn
to the fact that too many Americans
do NOT exercise the privilege granteu
tbeno NV the Constitution OF eXercls-
;nS the right of suffrage. AS tne
President well said, in repuDhc
lilo Ours. government is by repre-
sentatiOn and if we are to MAINTAIN
fine principle that governments uc-
rive their Just powers from tne con-
sent of the governed, 1t VIII De lieo, ~
ossarv for the American voters TO go
to the polls every two years ana eA-
ercise their rights.
In the past two presldential cleo-
+ions only half of the quallheo No-
ters have exercised their right OIL
suffrage and in some of the recent
Senatorial elections the percentage
has fallen below this. The hgures
do not speak well for the interest,"
which the average American takes
in his government. And strange TO
cav the women do not seem disposed
tn exercise their new right in any
greater numbers than the men.
Rut aside from this inertia there is
another serious phase of the situa-
tion. Most of the stay-at-home voters
are the conservative felloWs-those
/ who exercise the American right TO
kick on conditions for S64 days in
fine wear and then fail to go to the
nolls on the first Tuesday after the
first Monday in November. AS a gen
eral thing, the radicals get out their
vote. They are pioneers and tanat-
les in their field and they pay atten-
tion to the business at hand-eVen
on election day.
II has been proved by results not
only in America, but in Great Brit
ain and other countries, that the
radicals are most dangerous when
the vote is light. When some extra
ordinary issue brings out nearly all
of the people, those in favor OF or
derly, representative government al
ways win. This only proves again the
old saying that eternal vigilance is
the price of liberty" The present
situation in Russia is an example OF
what a minority can do. Government
doesn't express the will of the ma
iority even in this enlightened day.
An organized, active minority Is Of
ten effective enough to do the Dusl-
ness. Come out and vote when you
get the opportunity. And If you don't
vote, then don't complain if things
are not run to suit you.