Evening star., 1927-12-06
ship voted--a gain Of 1.6 per cent over

and fraternal organiZa tiOnS, alive to
the menace of the nOn-voting citizen.
inaugurated an intensive campaign in
1925 to get the vote out" in the cleo
tions of 1926. This movement was
quite independent of the work of reg
ular political party orga aniZa tions. AS
sOciated with the American Civic Fed.
Grafton in this effort were such organ
| iZations as the American Legion. Gen.
eral Fedora ton of Womens Clubs,
| National League Of Women Voters.
American Federation of Labor. United
! States Cha of Commerce. Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution, Nj
tional Federation of Business and
! Professional Women's Clubs. kiwanis
| Clubs. Lions Clubs. 1t was non.parti-
san. non-sectarian and non-sectional
in it's work 1t was headed by some
of the most prominent citizens in the
, United States.
Comparison Of Returns.
".A report issued by the American
Civic Federal ton in January. 1927.
sets forth that the vote in the off year
elections of 1925 IN "a States failed
to equal the vote in the off-year cleo
tions of 1922, and in al States it fell
far behind that of the 1924 presiden-
''d' 'dhhpdfSu' 10 quote from tne
report:
lin round numbers the vote in
1922 was more than u 600. 900: in 1924
nearly 30 900 900 and i'm 1926. less than
p 600. 900. But. when the percentage Of
new voters is considered, there is moth.
ing to show for the work OF all our
organizations in 1926. although it can
safely he assumed that without such
an effort the result would have been
much more disheartening--a. negative
consolation at hest. However. in com.
pairing the 1926 and 1922 election re-
turns. let us not lose sight OF the far
more disturbing facts in the situation:
namely. that when we cast 81 .0O0, 900
votes in 1922 there were IS. .000, 900
eligible voters, but in 1926 with a
eligible voting list of 5000, 900 only
22 .000. 600 cast the ballot
ITO state the figures another way.
There was a gain OF 900 900 in the
number of eligible voters, but only a
gain of 1.000, 900 in the number Of
votes polled.
This creeping paralysis of the body
polite must be checked and counter
acted II representative government
is to continue. Dictation of govern.
ment is even now attempted not mere.
lN by minorities but by minorities OF
minorities. Not only are party candi.
dates being elected by a decided minor
ity OF the eligible constituency. but
they are being nominated in party
primaries by as few as to Is per cent
OF their party's normal strength,
which means as little as to per cent
of the total eligible voters of their
State or local constituency. Such a
condition Is a travesty on universal
suffrage. 1t is a fat denial in practice
of the theory OF government either
| OF the people or by. the people In
spite of this we have renal ined q gov.
ernment for the people because those
intrusted with official power and re-
sponslbility are more devoted to the
principles OF our Government than are
the ma ajority OF the people who refuse
to exercise the right of suffrage.
Many efforts other than the cam
paiGn by the organizations just re-
ferred to have been directed to a
solution Of this problem of default
ing citizenship. The popular primary
was legalized 10 take the place of
the convention system upon the the
ory' that it would give the people
more voice in the selection of party
candidates and. having this increa ased
voice. they would exhibit more inter-
est in the election of the candidates.
The popular primary system had be-
come general by 1910 and 1912, AT
which period about two thirds of our
eligible citizens We're exercising suf-
fraGe. Since that time this percent
age has slumped TO one half. This
is not intended as an argument
against The popular primary. but it
is set down as statement that the
popular primary has not solved the
problem of civic Indifference.
Women i'm Politics.
an the long campa ign/ to obtain
equal suffrage for. women one of the
telling arguments was that their en-
trance as voters would stimulate in
terest in politics and as a conse-
quence greater percentage of our
citizenship would take part in the
selection Of public servants and in
the formation and direction of pub
lie policies. The prediction has been
borne out in part at least, but W.
have not yet reached the desired goal
but our own committeewomen are
working toward that end. Women
in politics show a more intense in
terest and exhibit a more tireless
activity than do men. and because
of this spirit. l feel that il a solution
| is to be found of the problem of the
| indifferent voter. we are justified in
depending on the organized party
women to bring about the success
desired
THE efforts of old party organi-
| Zations to stimulate interest in poll
| tics and to get out the vote have
not solved the problem.
The American people have always
| nd off
emergency. whether it was the need OF
| those afflicted by pestilence or the vic
TINS of the elements. or the need oi
sound and sober decision and patriotic
| action in dealing with the affairs OF
this republic. and they will continue
so to do.
The duty of the Republican party
| is to act on this assumption and con
| lnue to merit the support of the Amer
lean electorate by keeping faith with
| them. and by the continuation OF our
advocacy and support of those sound
policies under which and because OF
which the Nation and it's people have
progressed and prospered.
THE Republican party today is strong.
| er than ever in it's history not only nu
! merically. but in the completeness OF
ITS organization and i'm the confidence
or the people of the Nation. In this
audience today are committee men and
committee women who, because OF the
party work they have done i'm their sew
Aral States. are able within twenty.fola
hours to deliver a message which viii
reach all their party workers ] know
Of this because it was evidenced to me
| not only once but several times during
the last presidential campaign.
The very excellence Of our organiza
| tion imposes on us an obligation to
! make certain that it is used for the ad
VA ncement of the Nation and of oui
party. My only fear ;s tha. with con
tinued success we may grow indiffer
ent or indolent. and that we must
avoid. 1t Is well for us to have at times
an appraisal of our political conditions
! to make certain that we are properly
utilizing all our possibilities. that We