Evening star., 1927-09-18
CLUBWOMEN OF THE NATION
Woman Club Holds National Slogan Con
H. tes-Mrs Sherman General Federation Head Returns
h.~.. News Of Woman Voters and Other Notes.

THE most dangerous vote in this
country is the vote that is not
used. So says Miss Katharine Lud.
ington of Old Lyme, Conn. who, as
| first vice president of the National
| League of Women Voters. has an
| alyzed the vote situation in the United
| States.
"Pel haps If we would focus our at
tention less on some vaguely danger
| Gus vote and more on the Indifferent
| voter. we might come to grips with
| one of the actual dangers to the work,
| ing of democracy" Miss Ludington
pointed out.
THE fact that voters must have
some comprehension of public ques-
tions and must take part in settling
them is the vitaliZing challenge of
democracy. but it is also its danger,
We have set up here in the United
States remarkable experiment in
representative government. The best
brains of the past and the present
have been expended on making the
system perfect and on getting the
right men to administer it. Recently
there have been signs that we are
dimly recognizing a third factor in the
situation. We are realizing the part
that must be played by the electorate.
from whom all power derives and by
whom, in the last analysis, all ques-
tions are settled.
NO system of elf-government can
work IL we neglect the selves who
work 1t. And yet. curiously enough,
in educating the inhabitants Of this
country the last consideration seems
to have been that these inhabitants
al
be, after II they are voters il they are
naturalized citizens and IL they are
not in prison. 1t is as inevitable as
death or taxes.
You puzzle and ponder how to d.
rect your boys or your girls educa-
ton, whether to train him or her as
teacher. a business man, a minister.
a lawyer, a home-maker; you are un.
certain what he or she may turn out
to be. Has it ever occurred to you
that. whatever else they may be, they
are dead sure to be voters?"
In discussing the work of the
League Of Women Voters, which is
concerned with bringing voters 'intc
realistic touch with public questions
and training them in habits of indie
pendent and responsible thinking"
Miss Ludington made known the fol.
lowing principles which govern the
scope and character of league work:
!. Voters must be trained to func.
ton if democracy is to succeed or
even to survive.
2. Methods for training voters must
be found which will catch and hold
the Indifferent and which will realis.
tically train for the actual and press.
ing needs of everyday citizenship.
8. II we make democracy succeed,
we need fear neither reaction nor
social revolution.
In addressing itself to this problem
Of the electorate Miss Ludington
voiced the leagues belief that 1t is
meeting this responsibility, and that,
however tentatively and gropingly,
it is making a genuine contribution to
democratic method and practice
Miss Mabel Vernon, executive secre.
tary of the National Womans Party,
Is expected to return to Washington
shortly to resume her duties at head
quarters. Miss Mary Gertrude Fen
dali, who has been carrying on the
work here during Miss Vernon's alb
sence. will leave today for New York.
where she will spend the Winter.