Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1948-07-15
A RENEWAL ENGAGEMENT OF
| MIGHT BE WRONGFUL
BY P. G. STROMBERG

In this year of 1913 Maryland should turn out the
highest percentage of voters in history. There
many why this should be is presidential
year and the presidential election usually finds the great
est interest in voting Then have several issues upon
which the voters must express an oprion One is the
Constitutional Amendment calling for annual sessions
of the General Assembly That this amendment is
needed is evidenced by the several special sessions in
recent necessitated by unforeseen changes which
were not provided for at the regular session An annual
budget will be far easier to anticipate than biennial
has been the custom Then there will appear the
referendum the change in law regarding the term of
the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. This is the
called "Elgn Ripper Bill" Friends of Mr. Elgn secured
enough signatures to require the law to be submitted
to referendum and the voters will say whether
not the terms of office of members of the Governors
official family will as nearly possible concurrent
with the Governors term While the bill might have
been aimed at dismissal of Commissioner Egin its real
import is that provision is made to allow the Governor
to members of his official family for his full term
The usual low percentage of people going to the polls
on election day certainly will not prevail this year But
this is good time for citizens to consider the mpor
lance of voting at every election whether not there
important candidates issues This good year
for people to consider the position which this great
try occupies in world affairs No local issue, however i'm
portant it might appear to approach the mpor
lance of this nations position in world affairs. America
is the leading democracy in the world and such must
take the leadership which history has thrust upon
Should fail problem will develop into which
involves very existence free individuals and
might possibly face war to maintain the freedom
which dearly for us and for which many
of our present generation have sacrificed their lives.
Local issues will be buried under the far Wegter issue
of maintaining for future generations the way of living
forbearers handed down to us.
What history holds in store for the United States
and for the world knows IT, however, in the dis
tan future great democracy will have gone the way
of other great civilizations historians will as the
greatest contributing cause to downfall NOT any
exterior force but INTERIOR fault And that fault
will be lack of appreciation of right of franchise
We have all read of and heard discussed the elimination
OF any Poll Tax which generally accepted in the
days of Old The argument is advanced that should
make voting easier and available to all without any sac
rce without method of demanding of the citizen
evidence of his acceptance of the responsibility
and of his appreciation of his privilege.
This country could never be harmed from within if
every entitled to actually voted No dema
gogue could lead people dangerous tangents No
Fsm could attach itself to way of living No polti
cal leader would dare attempt unpopular legislation and
the day of the political boss would be reegated to the
realm of oddities
There must be way of requiring of the citizen an
expression from him or her on election day. Voting
should be made simple and attractive yes! But the
or not as his her fancy dictates Sometimes we ap
proach election day in the spirit that we decide
attendance at big parade celebration This should
not be! Voting is not only right and a privilege -
Voting as much the citizens responsibility as payment
OF taxes and method will day be found to require
all men and women who entitled to vote to either
cast vote or be penaized Just how such imposition
OF responsibility will can be brought into reality is
big question: but few thoughtful people will DENY that
were such system in effect today there would be no
need for apprehensons of fear regarding election out
comes when only small portion of the electorate takes
the trouble to vote.