Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1948-04-02
Time To Register

lime o NS9tSTSI
All of us must be aware of the grave
situation which faces this nation To-Day
since President Truman's recent speech be-
fore Congress and from the headlines
which tell us of the threat of war.
In times like these, it becomes doubiy
important that the citizens of this country
stand up to their responsibility and do
their part in electing public officials to
office who are best qualified to serve under
the conditions which exist on both the
domestic and international fronts.
Today, just one week away from the
deadline set by law for closing registra-
tions for the May primary election, thou
sands of residents of Toledo and Lucas
County have failed to secure their right to
vote. They are failing to remember that
the ballot is one of the really important
rights of political democracy and they are
saying, in effect, that they do not care.
In the face of the critical situation
which exists, il is difficult to understand
how anyone can possibly be indifferent to
who makes the laws which governs them
and who administers the government
which may possibly lead us into another
war.
For those who belong to labor unions
ii is even more important to exercise the
right of the ballot this year on May and
again in November. 1t is important be-
cause the critical housing situation has not
been solved. 1t is important because social
legislation has not only stood still for the
past two years or more, but has actually
lost ground. 1t is important because 1t is
to labor that the nation must look in the
event of another war.
There are dozens of other reasons, all
important, why labor should register now
and vote in the primary election May a,
but one of the most important reasons is
that the outcome of the primary is going
to decide TO very considerable extent who
is going to be elected in the November
election.
Those who have unemployment COM
pensatiOn difficulties, those who are find
ing ii difficult to secure workmen's COM
pensatiOn, those who wish to assure them
selves full employment, in short, every
man and woman who works for living,
has vital stake in the outcome of every
election whether they recognize it or not.
If those who have not registered and
who have no intentions of voting In the
May primary election would stop and
consider the matter, they will remember
that the labor unions were pOwerless To
stop the Taft-Hartley bill. They will recOg-
nize that the lack of adequate low cost
housing, improved sOci al security and
many other things which effect their wei
fare is not because of the lack of interest
or lack of effcrt on the part of the unions,
but because of the lack of interest of the
individal worker.
This is the year of opportunity, year
when the people of this nation are called
upon to repudiate reactinary Congress
which has never indicated the slightest
interest i'm the welfare of the majority of
the people of the country.
This is the year of opportunity when
the citizens will be provided with an alter
native over that which exists today, by
voting for and eIectng people to public
office who are pledged to program which
is in keeping with the interests and wei
fare of all the people and not just select
few.
We urge everyone who has not yet
qualified to vote to 90 10 the Board of Elec-
tions now and register and prepare TO cast
their ballot on May 4. Above all, we be-
lieve that every citizen who is now quail
fled to vote, or who will register between
now and the April 5 registration deadIine
should east their ballot on May 4. Labor
has job to do in 1948, job which can
be successful only if large number of
workers vote in May and again in Novem-
ber.