The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-06-09

Washington last regular session of
the 18th Congress comes to an end
can best be described as one of utter
confusion, with both Administration
forces and those TO the Opposition
torn by internal dissentions and di-
vided counsels. Politically, there
exists state of chaos, out of which
there is little chance of order emerg-
ing until after the November cleo
tionS.
BY their votes for Senators, Rep
resentatives, Governors and other
state officials on November first the
American people, in theory at least,
will chart the course which they
desire their Federal Government to
follow. How far this falls elections
will be clear-cut cross-section of
public opionion, is, unknown.
Present Day Voting
If everyone who is entitled to
vote actually went to the polls and
voted on election day there would
be no question about the will of the
people, which is, in fact as well as
in theory, the only basis upon which
this Government is based. But even
in the quadrennial national elections
no more than two-thirds of the
eligible voters have ever taken the
trouble to register their personal
choices on men and issues and in
the mid-term biennial elections it is
a very rare occurrence indeed for
as many as half of the voters to turn
out.
Only when there are sharply de-
fined local issues and hard-fought
local campaigns, either for state Of
fices or for representatives in Con-
gress, do most voters bother to 60
to the polls except in Presidential
years. That is one of the differences
between a democratic form of gov
eminent and an authoritarian gov
eminent. In the lands of dictators
voters are compelled, under penalty
to go to the polls on election day
and cast their votes.
To make certain that they vote
fright" the ballots in Italy, under
Mussolini, give the voters no choice.
They contain the names of Fascist
candidates and no others, and place
to write in the names of opponents.
By that method a SO percent vote
for the Administration is assured,
and the result is heralded to the
world as evidence of the practically
unanimous acceptance and endorse
ment of the party in power and its
leaders.
Effect of "VOte Tax"
No one has yet suggested such
method of getting out the vote" in
America, but President Roosevelt
made suggestion a couple of weeks
ago which is beginning to attract
more or less serious attention in po-
itical circles.
The Presidents idea is to impose
a Federal. tax of SIS every two years
upon every citizen eligible to vote
at elections for Federal officers, and
to refund the tax at election time
to every voter who casts his or her
ballot for Presidential electors, Sen
ators or Representative in Congress.
That this plan would be effective
in bringing to the polls very much
larger proportion Of voters than now
exercise their rights Of suffrage is
considered certain. No one could
refuse to pay such a tax, if levied
by Federal authority, but the Ger
tainty of getting the SIS tax back by
merely going to the polls and vot-
ing would be strong inducement,
especially, it is held, to the eligible
women voters, who are not yet TAX
ing an active part in public affairs
as are the men.
That Congress has power under
the Constitution to levy such a tax
and to- authorize its refund under
such conditions is believed by most
Of those in Congress who have given
consideration to the subject. The
Constitution forbids any "capitation
or other direct tax" except in pro-
portion to the decennial census en-
umeration. A tax on all persons
over 81 would be, it is held, in di-
rect proportion to the Census count,
and so Constitutional.
Influencing the Voter
The cost, on the basis of the pres
ent voting strength of the nation,
would be less than 400 million dol
lars every two years And that,
many commentators hold, would be
a small price to pay for full and
complete expression of the collect
i've will of the people of the United
States, in the only way by which
that will can be expressed, which
is by actual voting. There would be
nothing in this system of paying
every voter SIS for voting, without
regard to how he voted, which