Carbon County news., 1936-06-26
Stay-aIt-Holnes
Urged 10 Vote
Liberty League Issues Ap-
peal to Help Save
Constitution.


of their right to cast ballots in
the 1882 Presidential election.
In order to stir up interest in
next November's election and
bring out as many as possible
Of the big army of stay-at-
homes the Executive Commit
tee of the American Liberty
League has issued.a letter to
it's more than 100000 members.
The appeal not only urges
members of the League to vote,
but emphasizes the need of
their influence in getting their
neighbors to the polls. The let
ter follows:
"There can be no question of the
Importance of the elections to be
held this year. The fate of consti-
tutional self-government in the
United States may be at stake.
I'm such circumstances every citi-
zen owes a duty to himself, to his
family and to his Nation. His duty
is the free and intelligent exercise
of his right of franchise-his vote.
The ballot which free citizen casts
may be compared with the payment
of a premium upon his insurance
policy. If the premium is not paid,
the policy lapses and he and his
family lose the protection for which
he has labored and saved for years.
The exercise of your right to vote
constitutes the premium you pay to
protect the most valuable insurance
policy ever written--the Constitu-
tion of the United States.
Rights at Stake.
"The American Liberty. League
believes that the people of the Unit
ed States do not wish to abandon
their Constitution or to permit it to
be nullifed. The League believes
that the people are well aware Of
the fact that the Constitution, and
the Constitution alone, protects
them in such rights. as religious
freedom, free speech. a free press,
trial by jury and safeguard of lives
and property against the whims and
caprices of an autocratic bureauc-
racy. The League believes that the
people know full well that in many
of the other major Nations of the
world today such rights are non-ex-
istent because Of the absence Of a
definite constitution made effective
by a government in which legisla-
tive, executive and judicial powers
are properly separated.
':But even if some American citi-
zens do wish to change the form of
their government, the League is GER
tain that the people are not willing
to allow such change to be made
without their express consent and
The people themselves,
and they alone, have the power and
the right to change the Constitution.
I'm the last four Presidential elec-
tions, an average of only 53 per
cent of all potential voters actually
east their ballots. The men and
women who fail to vote have no
right to complain Of the character
Of government thrust upon them. If
they are too lazy or too Indifferent
to go to the polls they must accept
the result.
Pledges Are Sought.
Because Of the unusual impor-
lance attaching to the elections this
year and because the right of fran
chise is the most sacred privilege of
every citizen, the Executive Com
mittee of the League feels called
upon to urge that all of its members
IN each state Of the Union pledge
themselves to exercise the right of
in November. The Com
m1ttee also urges that eacn member
of the League constitute himself,
or herself, a committee Of one to OBJ
ain similar pledges from as many
aelloW-citiZens as possible.
'eTo make this program effective,
t is important that it be started at
)nce. The registration period is al
'eady upon us in some states. In
many instances it is necessary to
'egister in order to vote.
"The committee wishes to empha-
jize that it is merely asking mem
'ers to pledge themselves to vote
md to obtain similar pledges from
In making this pledge, the
Committee is not requesting that
Inyone promise to vote for any par
icular candidate or any particular
Dolitical party. 1t is merely urging
hat all indicate their intention to
the most sacred duty of
itizens in a free democracy" i