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


1t is fundamental assumption of democracy that
campaigns are periods of public education on matters
of state The party selects an able and states
man-like platform. Then comes the campaign.
The voter is instructed fully by campaigners on all
vital issues of the day and on relationship Of the
candidate and the platform to the achievement of
Utopia After prolonged and serious study the voter
finally arrives at rational and deliberate choice and
goes to the polls on election day to register his solemn
decision.
Intelligent insight and serious scrutiny pre-
sumed to dominate the whole process from the con-
ventions until election day.
George Jean Nathan contends, however, that moth
ing of the sort exists He offers the following sum-
mary of the conventional methods of securing votes
under the party system in a democracy
Consider the means whereby he the average
voter readily is brought to an admiration of which
aver politician desires his esteem. Privy to the
secrets of his emotional gunbility the politicians who
wishes to WOO his goodwill sets about securing it in
the following rubber stamp manner:
"First by having his photograph taken with his
wife second by having his photograph taken with his
wife and children third by having his photograph
taken with his old mother; fourth-and best if pos
SHELBY having his photograph taken with one or
both of his grandparents view which is invncible in
convincing the American that the fellow, no matter
whether his grandparents we're horse thieves Of
solid stock.
Fifth by getting his name the boards Of char
table organizations even though he shows
up at board meetings; sixth, by patting newsboys
genialy on the public places, thus attesting
his humanness and democratic nature; seventh, by
wearing clothes of not too recent cut, and so in
dicating that he is of the plain people
Eighth by pitching his voice an octave lower than
his natural thus giving himself the necessary herman
aspect; ninth by never making speech on any &C.
cason save the Fouth of July fraternal organiza
ton conclave without much profound frownng; tenth,
by abiding on every possible public occasion to the
humbleness of the folk from whom he sprang
eleventh, by hopping his brow much possible
when facing his audience by way of subtly fatering
inference that he is hard put to it to convince so
august an assemblage of minds
twelfth by approaching movie news reel cam
era in slightly hesitating and different manner
if he did not deem himself worthy of so great an
honor: thirteenth by wearing a silk hat only at
Easter; fourteenth, by ehecting deep interest in
baseball; fifteenth. by smoking cigaretS in a
holder, an act which would bring him to be viewed
as a fancy fellow and one to be looked with
tain misgivings sixteenth by wearing collar that
doesn't fit him and which thus somewhat occuty per-
suades the American to regard him as a so
busy with important concerns that he has no time
for such trivial details.
Seventeen if the owner of an automobile, by hav-
ing one of not too expensive or fashionable make
and by making that it is o. color other than
black; eighteenth, if a college man. by attending
more laboring mems balls and picncs than otherwise
would be necessary; nineteenth, by failing to
have Thanksgiving dinner with his family: and
twentieth, by denouncing his opponent before cleo
ton day being everything from rat to skunk
and after election day, whether he is elected or de-
feated by admitting generously that after ALL his
opponent is a very fine fellow indeed"
This would be splittngly funny if it were not so
true and so precise description of the considera-
tons which dominate in American democratic plebi-
scites and lead to the choice Of our public servants