New Britain herald., 1926-04-20
COOLIDGE URGES
 PEOPLE ID VOTE
Tells D. A, R. Exercise oI
 Franchise Is a Duty

Washington. April 20 Rl--citizon. ship in America is not a private enterprise. but q public function, 1 President Coolidge said in an ad. dress last night before the Thirty fifth Congress of the National 80. ciety of the Daughters of the American Revolution during which he urged the people to exercise greater interest in their government by going to the polls on election day.
 "The whole system Of govern mont" he asserted, rests on the ballot box, Unless citizens perform their duties there, such a system of government is doomed 10 failure"
 Making passing reference to law observance as 1t relates 10 the duties of citizenship. the president said that 1t "cannCt be denied that in the splcndor and glamor of our life the moral sense is sometimes blinded"
 Lack of Obedience
 ''It cannot be disputed" he said that in too many quarters there is a lack of reverence for authority and of obedience to law. Such oc- ,currences are sporadic and produce their own remedy. When society finds that its life and property are in peril from evil doers, 1t IS very quick to organize its forces for its l fall n be done in our own country, for our people as whole are thoroughly law abiding"
 The president held, how ever, that 1t was not in violence and crime that the greatest danger lies, for these evils were quickly apparent and could be suppressed. A far more serious danger, he said, Turks In the 'shirking of those sponsihlities of citizenship, where the evil may not be so noticeable but IS more in- sidious and likely to be more de- vastating."
 Anniversary of Concord
 The address Has delivered on the anniversary of the battles of Con- cord and Lexington, and after re- trrring to the form of govern ment set up as result of the revolution, Mfr. Coolidge said. If We are 10 keep our repre- sentative form of government and to maintain the principle that the ma jority shall rule, it behooves us to lake some drastic action 10 arouse the voters of this country to a greater interest in their civic duties on election day. Many remedies have been proposed, from disfranchise- mont 10 criminal action. The most practical, l believe, however is for all bodies Of men and women inter tsted in the welfare of this coun- ! try 10 join together under somo 1 af,icien. or.a nization 10 correct this l evil.
 | Women Indifferent , It vas hoped that giving tho . vote 10 women. would arouse more general interest in the obligations of election day. That has not yet proved to Ne the case, The pretidcn- tlsl election in 1920 was the first after the adoption of the universal suffrage amendment. There ia no way 10 divide inc total vote cast by men and women. But, after that election some rather comp plicated calculations were made based the assumption that the accession of .tomon might he presumed to double inc yoto. The caIcu'ators reached 'u~ conclusion that Of thn approHi matr q 0dh. 0o0 lotos cast only 27 DOT cent represented the votes Of ,qomru. Stme ,ay inc percentage of feminine vote vas grater in 1924. others say it was less.
 "I m uot disposed n accept these , ronnlusions nS altogether fair tc .th, women. And t a'Gnds 10 reason , .naf fl would take some time for ? laom 10 become used 10 exercising . he priyilagn which lad belonged tc rln mtn Of this coun'ry for many eo""r1tions.
 "lt is no' my purpose 'o draw ~rv distinction between thc mcr | .,7I inc women ar 70 inc eytnn, tt , vrirh they takn advantage Of their prjtntEc aud perform their duty a' 'na ballot box. But ra hor, it ia mt !1oa 10 call 2our attention to thf s'art.inr fact th2t in the last tive presidential elections barely 5N pel | rcnt of those qualified 70 vote hav' , done so. In tha senatorial cler'ion'
 ' of -ears tIo voting Dorccntag' is murh smaller.
 "1'te p"rilous as?rc' Of this stua ion li,s in Is ineidioNsn"ss. WiN ] 'ha nrcwl"njn@ of ponular powers -'.o Iirr" election of practically al 1 public officials, aud tho direct nom jhatioa or most nf them th"ro is n' opportunity for an expression Of th' ourlir will CXcept at th" ballot box r i. perfectly widen that oll thos Vio have selfish interests wiU gt 'o tr" polls and will bo active nn' ,uorrotic in securing support fo ,toir proposcle and their candidates Tn" average voter supports what h. '.lit,rs to bo +ha public in'orHs' 1-uloss frey appear on election d1, Nat interest will Eo unrcpros"nted,
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