Show n I Making Tomorrows Tomorrow's s sI I World By W. W WALTER LTER WILLI WILLIAMS Dun Dean of School f q of the e ONE HONE MAN ONE VOTE Milan Italy Is Is more moro democracy tho cure for tor democracy Certainly the trend In European countries Is toward the trial of ot the I prescription Tho The demand for tor an extension extension ex ox tension of ot tho suffrage Is confined to tono tono tono no nation but may be bo heard from Great Britain to Gr Grieco co fr from m big Hussla Russia Rus Itus sla sia where here the Is for a duma chosen by a genuinely ly popular vote to little Portugal where the tho slight Blight semblance of ot a republic seeks to hold power by permitting all men to vote who vote voto tho the ticket of ot the republic Italy Gets Manhood Suffrage In Italy where this letter is written writ written ten the tho most colossal experiment In Inthe Inthe Inthe the extension of ot the suffrage Is ha hav having ing its first trial Tho The electoral law passed by tho the late Into chamber of ot deputies deputies deputies ties raises the tho number of ot voters oters In tn n 1 aly from to an an Increase of ot more than Ihan five million Under tho the new now law Italy has practically practically manhood suffrage for tor the entire nation All males thirty years of ot age and over and all males twenty years of t age and under thirty who can read re-ad and write or who have performed military service are permitted to vote ote Illiteracy aDl and anA performance non of ot military milt mill tary duty alone al e exclude from suffrage sad and these only where the age of at the prospective voter Is under thirty years It is an experiment which though paralleling It In some somo degree far surpasses even the war measurer measure which thrust unprepared the colored men of ot the United States Into Inlo poll poll- tics The questions as to the extent to which the tho Italians Italians' heretofore excluded excluded excluded ex ex- will avail themselves of ot the new privileges and the manner in which they will exercise their right of ot choice can not now be answered with any degree of ot accuracy cy 1 Tre lie e In- In only of oC a minority This Thia Is III particularly particularly desirable in the final where the candidates have not been selected or nominated in a popular convention or primary election The scenes at preliminary meetings s sand and today at voting places In Milan resemble tho the scenes at an election In inthe tho the United States with some soma differ cUtrer differences Making the rounds of ot the polling polling poll poll- ing lag places with reporters from the Carriere Carriero del Sera Italy's most widely circulated newspaper was not unlike visiting the tho polls with American r re reporters reporters re- re porters on a congressional election day The eager excited crowds tho the hired helpers circulating candidates' candidates circulars the one or two policemen to preserve order the voters in lino to cast their ballot ballot It it was not unlike an American election Political Bossism to Increase In Jn making a Greater Italy what will be the results of ot universal suffrage suffrage suf sut frage The Tho mayor of ot an Italian city returning for a day from a holiday In Switzerland that ho he might cast his ballot for a Liberal deputy a supporter supporter sup sup- porter of ot the great of ot the school of Cavour expressed one opinion It means the immediate awakening and going forward of ot Italy Another opinion was expressed expressed expressed ex ex- ex- ex pressed by a Milan merchant Jt It will set back Italy a a. half century by I giving votes to this great mass of Ignorant men The elections will be dominated by priests who wish dencal clerical den cleri cal deputies chosen or by professional demagogues who care nothing for Italy's real needs Perhaps a more well considered view was that of ot Dr M. M Borsa a Milan 1 Journalist opposed to the polly policy but sympathetic with progress For a time the effect will be to give strength to what you I I 1 lf 4 H r q qC s C 4 t j u a r rw w I Scene in Italian Chamber of Deputies I tonight at the close of ot the first st days day's voting for members ol of t the Italian chamber of deputies or parlia parlia- parliament ment went are that at least GO 60 per cent of oC the tho electors have voted and that the relative membership in the chamber of ot the principal political parties or groups will be only slightly changed the tho clericals and anti radicals each Increasing increasing In in- creasing their vote and gaining a few tew seats Beats I IT T The e Latest Election The election today in Italy as was for tor I COS deputies in the parliament The 1 candidates nu numbered more than 2000 The political issues were somewhat vague Signor the prime minister appealed for an endorsement endorse ment of ot his past achievements without without with with- out any definite statement as to his future policy Here Is s what I have done said in substance Italy's most powerful statesman I have carried on with success the Libyan war I 1 have perfected the state monopoly oly of ot insurance and given other social reform reform re reo re- re form Corm legislation and now I give unIversal universal uni unI- versa versal suffrage The opposition led by Baron Sonnino urged that GiolItti gives no assurance as to tomorrow Program Why I x xam am the program Such urge his opponents is the Italian premiers premier's reply Without any anymore anymore anymore more definite statement however and despite the ther coldness not a characteristic character Italian trait of ot Giolitti the first days day's balloting gave him an overwhelming overwhelming overwhelming over over- whelming whelming- majority majo-ity of ot deputies chosen Balloting Done on Sundays Elections in Italy as in other countries countries coun coun- tries on the continent of ot Europe are held on a Sunda Sunday In Italy if It the candidate for tor deputy does not receive at the first ballot a majority of oC all the votes cast a a. second or supplementary cupple- cupple ballot takes place on the following fol fol- lowing towing Sunday At the second ballot Voters must choose between the two wo names flames for tor which the highest number voted at tho the first ballot In this way the candidate selected Is really the tho I choice chorce of ot a n majority of oC the tho electors not ant t as as' Is frequently the tho case In elec- elec ons In the United States the choice call bosses In America These men will to a greater or ur less extent control control con con- elections for several years ears This however will not continue for tor gradually gradually gradually ally Indeed swiftly in northern Italy the tho masses will learn to appreciate I 1 their own power and will support men I hand and measures of ot value to the I nation Tomorrow Italy will be not only freer politically but stronger agriculturally agriculturally ag ago ag- ag i industrially and commercially commercially commer commer- commercially for tor universal suffrage But this will take time Socialist Demands Moderate Two elements enter Into a consideration consideration consideration consid consid- of ot Italy's tomorrow concerning concerning concern concern- ing which prophecy Is vain the SocialIsts Socialists Socialists So So- and the Clericals The Italian Socialist led by El EI the Milan Journal is in the main more moderate I In his bis aims alms than the members of political poI political po po- I parties bearing the tho same name in in the countries of ot northern Europe The Tho reduction or abolition of ot the corn I 1 duty and the transfer of ot the burden lot jot of taxation to inheritances and incomes incomes in in- in-I in comes are among the chief planks in his platform With increased power he ho may demand more as indeed now do the few extreme Radical Socialists i Clerical Party Develops King Democratic i The other element which Is big with significance in Italy's future is the Clerical party Gradually in an election elec- elec tion constituency here and there the doctrine of ot non uon expedit enunciated by the great Pope Leo XIII has been tacitly abandoned and a a. party formed which Is devoted first of ot all to the Interests of ot the tho Catholic church Glo Gio- has been able to hold together in coalition two groups so widely differing dif dif dif- faring fering in views as the Clericals ClerIcal and Socialists socialists To one he promised that no IIo law should be enacted permitting divorce and that religious Instruction in the schools should continue to the theother theother theother other ho promised certain social reform reform re reo re- re form torm legislation Should either element element element ele ele- ment gain power by the coming com cam ing lug of oC universal suffrage or otherwise the coalition will fall to pieces and the he conflict to fer dominance will vill come coma 1 between a party which church which I Interests supreme and a f Harty arty holds olds church Interests se secondary I Secret Ballot In France countries the ine In other European I same trend toward democracy may maybe maybe maybe be found France under the popular substituted substituted substituted president Poincare has just ballot the secret ballot for the voted In public In an urn thus giving itself It- It to democracy a chance chanco to express self Belf without outside knowledge or in In- In At tho next general genera elec- elec election election elec elec- tion I A. A tin France nc a system similar to In tho the so- so so called Austra Australian an ballot now general In tho United States will be employed It Is la esti estimated which which 1 Is mated that the French word for polling booth booth- will be required In France when tho the system comes Into operation said a a. French Journalist And they will cost 15 francs each about expense ex ox and unnecessary an enormous j pense said eald a Conservative comment suggested the tho argument of cost once employed against the adoption adoption tion of of ot othe the he he secret ballot In the tho United States 1 Suffrage Reform Promised In Germany In Prussia and somo some German states where tho the election conditions conditions' are little removed from feudalism only the tho strong arm of ot monarchical authority has bas kept ept back reform The growing opposition to the tho illiberal three class system in Prussia by which third one-third of ot tho the so-called so popular popular lar house of ot the Prussian parliament is elected by voters third one by voters and oD third one by voters has become strong enough to compel a n promise of ot reform re ro- ro form In a a. speech from the throne Mecklenburg is worse off of than thal Prussia sia ala but here too reform Is Imminent Saxony recently modified its Us system by adopting manhood suffrage and the secret ballot though giving two votes to the tho possessors of ot Incomes of more more- than a year while Incomes of ot a a. year entitle to three votes and certain standards of ot education certain professions and Incomes of ot a P. year to four tour votes Baden has gone to the extreme of liberality liberality for for present day Germany Germany and and provided in Its constitution for tor ma manhood hood suffrage suf sut suf f frage age secret ballot and one man one vote ln n all the German st states te the the most casual on looker-on at the things political finds a movement which can cannot cannot I not long be denied success in favor of a modification Into a more democratic demo cratic system of ot the tho present Inheritance Inheritance inheritance tance tance from feudalism under which as asa asa asa a Munich l Conservative mildly pointed point point- ed out the advantage Is somewhat too large on the side of ot brains caste casto and money Plural Voting Doomed In England In Great Britain the Liberals and many Conservatives are supporting abill abill a abill bill which will abolish there the archaic system of ot plural voting Under this system it I Is possible for electors elector'S to be bo on the voting lists of ot several constituencies s with the the re results t that at atthe the residents In n localities have been swamped by outsiders possessing votes because they happened to own land In those divisions or in adjoinIng adjoining adjoining adjoin adjoin- ing constituencies les If the system prevailed prevailed prevailed pre pre- in the United States a voter might cast his ballot for tor congressman for tor example In Columbia Missouri I in Kansas Elty In Chicago and in Louisville if It he owned property In InI Inor inor I or adjoining these constituencies There are arc tens of ot thousands of ot BritIsh British British Brit Brit- ish voters who are thus entitled to cast their votes in more than one I constituency and at least uni uni- university university varsity voters who can vote more than once It is a remedy for this condition by giving one man one vote that the new election bill III In England provides It will doubtless soon become a law Officialdom the Plague of Europe It is perhaps the official in Europe pointed out Henry W. W rather than the crown the aristocracy aristocracy racy or even the plutocrat who now most endangers liberty Bureaucratic Interference with personal life long the plague of ot most European capitals threatens to Infest the world We Ve are called upon to accept the expert as our controlling guide and efficiency efficiency ef et I as the final test of ot govern govern- ment Many of ot the perils of ot monarchy monarchy monarchy mon mon- archy or any other government from above lurk In such advice Bees and andants andants andants ants are efficient but their progress appears to have stopped stopped stopped-stopped stopped dead as we say or if It you want expert ez- ez ex pert government go watch the law and order of ot sheep before a a. dog Officials om- om even en in the tho best countries usually usually usually ally govern badly because they naturally magnify their office and routine routine routine rou rou- tine above life regarding the Intrusion intrusion intrusion in In- of ot reality as an unwarrantable disturbance to tl their habitual toil toll or leisure But that is not the worst of ot It It ft as the traveler through Europe soon learns Even under tho the most efficient officialdom the governed suffer suffer suf sut fer a So degrading loss of t personality It Is disastrous to maintain order however howe mechanically perfect or to organize virtue and comfort however judiciously proportionate if It personal ity and varlet variety are gone Self Government Gaining It Is Js the Increasing sense that self sel government is better than good gOV government gov gov- to to quote the forceful phrase of a British statesman that statesman that is prom promoting the movement for tor democracy democracy racy for political liberty and for its expression by ballot b. at the polls which is so pronounced In Europe and of which Italy's experiment in universal manhood suffrage Is the most recent and significant result Yet this movement finds indifference once ence it If not hostility in unexpected quart quarters rs We Ve have too much voting In my canton said a Swiss S university university r 1 sit sity professor yesterday I am fined If It I do not vote ote And there have been three elections this year Voting Is getting to be a nuisance Copyright 1921 by Jon Jos n T r P t TV n les ales r |