The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-09-10
Educating the Public on National Issues


It is a fundamental assumption OF democracy that
Nar,naiqns are periods of public education on matters
NJ state The party selects an able man and states
nan 1tl,e nlatform Then comes the campaign
The voter is instructed fully by campaigners on all
.5to1 issues of the day and relationship OF the
candidate and the platform to the achievement OF
t1+ora After prolonged and serious study, the voter
ero1lv arrives at rational and deliberate choice and
e to the polls on election day to register his solemn
decision.
intelligent insight and serious scrutiny are pre-
Ar,ed n dominate the whole process, from the con-
Rentions until election day.
George Jean Nathan contends however, that moth
ING of the sort exists He offers the following sum-
knarv of the conventional methods Of securing VoteS
hinder the party system in democracy:
consider the means whereby he (the average
Foer) readily is brought to an admiration OF WHICH
Ever politician desires his esteem. Priyy to the
secres of his emotional guibity, the politicians VINO
wishes to WOO his goodwill sets about securing it in
The following rubber-stamp manner
First by having his photograph taken with his
ufe second by having his photograph taken with his
wife and children; third by having his photograph
kaken with his old mother; fourth-and best, II pos
kibe-by having his photograph taken with one or
both of his grandparents view which Is 1nvinciole IN
convincing the American that the fellow, no matter
whether his grandparents horse thieves comes OF
Solid stock.
Fifth by getting his name on the boards OF CHAR
Stable organizations though he never once shows
np at board meetings; sixth, by patting neWsnoys
renally on the head in public places, thus attesting
his humanness and democratic nature; seventh, by
wearing clothes OF not too recent cut, and so IN
5icating that he is of the plain people.
ncf1U 1Ouyor an
his natural thus giving himself the necessary herman
aspect NINTH by never making a speech on any oc-
easion save the Fou-of July or fraternal organiza
lion concave without much profound frowning tenth
BY abiding on every possible public occasion to the
bumbeness of the folk from whom he sprang;
Eleventh by hopping his brow much as possible
when facing his audience by way Of subty hattering
inference that he is hard put to it to convince so
august an assemblage of minds
twelfth by approaching movie news reel cam
bra in slightly hestating and different manner, as
# he did not deem himself worthy of so great an
honor; thirteenth by wearing silk hat only at
Easter: fourteenth by efecting a deep interest in
baseball; fifteenth, by never smoking cigarets in
holder an act which would bring him to be viewed
as a fancy fellow and to be looked on with GER
tain misgvings sixteenth, by wearing collar that
doesn't fit him and which thus somewhat occulty per-
suades the American to regard him as man so
busy with important concerns that he has no time
Cor such trivial details.
"Seventeeth If the owner OF an automobile, by hav-
ing one of not too expensive or fashionable make
and by making sure that it is Of color other than
black; eighteenth, If college man, by attending
more laboring mems balls and picnics than otherwise
would be necessary; nineteenth, by failing to
have Thanksgiving dinner with his family; and
twentieth, by denouncng his opponent before cleo
ton day as being everything from a rat to skunk
and after election day, whether he is elected de-
feated, by admitting generously that after ALL his
opponent is very fine fellow indeed"
This would be splttinsly funny If it were not so
true and so precise description Of the considera-
lions which dominate in American democratic plebi-
scites and lead TO the choice Of our public yrvants