Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27

Under the leadership of John Hays
Hammond who has accepted the
Craftsmanship of the department OF
political education of the Natlonal
Civic Federation, an early start Is
being made with a campaign TO get
voters to the polls at the November
elections and at the intervening
primaries. While there was get
outthe-vote" campaign In IVA, IN
which many organizations took part.
and there have been local efforts along
this line in many places In previous
years, the energy and organizing aoli.
ity of Mr.. Hammond, and the type OIL
citizens making up the committee
working with him, give a basis Tor
hope that the 1925 effort will produce
something better than the 81 per cent
vote scored two years ago. ana the
40 per cent vote recorded In 1920.
Mr.. Hammond has the advantage of
attacking the problem of non-Notlfg
from an independent viewpoint. He
has never been a politician nor an
office holder, but he has been enor-
mOusly successful rs a business or
ganiZer While he has lived in Wash
ington in recent years. and acted occa-
sionally as a member Of special com
missions such as that which surveyed
the coal industry, his concern with
voting is much deeper than that of
the office seeker He wants Aneri-
cans TO vote because by no other
method can self government be main
tanned.
4 Student of Government.
Having not only travelled, but
transacted business on IL large scale
In many parts of the world, Mr.. Ham
mond knows a great deal about gov
ernments and how they affect the life
OF peoples. His concern for his own
country, when he sees half of the
people taking no part in their Govern
ment, and many of this half the best
educated people. is based on facts
which he knows from experience. lie
knows Russia and the Russian people.
and appreciates that the country has
practically every natural advantage
of the United States, every natural
resource of materials, soil and eli
mate. He knows that the Russian
people have great talents, ruggedness,
strength and genius. And he OBJ
serves all of this, the elements of q
great and happy nation, In sad straits
because Russia has not yet been able
to evolve a government under which
people can work and live successfully
| and happily.
He has studied China and her
people, and observes one of the most
populous and thrifty races on the
earth on the verge of actual starva-
! ton because no system Of government
is in operation capable of allowing
life to go forward on any sane basis.
He has noted the struggle of Europe
| to recover from war and establish
peace. and has viewed the aspirations
of powerful and noble peoples shat
tered by the inability Of governments
to function effectively. Observing that
| the republic of the United States is
one of the few successful large Gov
ernments in the world today, he is
concerned about keeping 1t SO.
A Model Public Servant.
In leading a national campaign for
political education, Mr.. Hammond Is
therefore probably as free from party
prejudice or narrow vision as a man
well can be- He is more than TO years
old. comfortably equipped with world
| ly goods, and could spend his time
PLAYING golf If he preferred. That he
| bushes himself tirelessly at pubic
| service indicates how serious he be-
lieves the situation of our country to
! be, with Government largely In the
hands Of selfish minorities and organ
lied cliques because the busy mass
Of the population is willing to let some
| one else attend to its politics.
| The National Civic Federation is
seeking to drive this fact home
throughout the country, as it organ
ICES local committees and urges
larger measure, of voting--of well IN.
formed voting. 1t tells the people OF
New York that their recent milk graft
scandals are their own fault. They let
other folks do their voting and choose
their officials. 1t tells the people OF
Chicago that gunner, freed by easy
parole boards, bailed by easy Judges,
protected by easy law enforcement
officials, are the fault OF the people
who do not vote.
1t tells the people Of Pennsylvania
that the new primary election scan
dals, revealing millions of dollars
spent to control the choices for Sena-
tor and governor, are solely possible
because the people Of the State allow
their politics to be run by organized
bosses, big and little, who swing the
uniformed voters by expensive meth.
DDS. The well informed could contpol
any primary If they would vote. and
their votes could not be controlled by
any number of millions Of dollars.
Voting statistics for the whole Ma
ton covering the 1920 and 1924 presi.
dental elections show that 40 and
81 per cent of the eligible voters cast
ballots in those years. During the in
terval. In 1922, when every Repre-
sentative and one-third of the Sena.
tors and many governors were elect
ed, as will be the case this year, the
vote was smaller. The effort to In
! / ~