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Show THE UTAH STATESMAN Is Politics Your Job? "A Weekly Newspaper Devoted to Good Goveruneif Hairy B. IPoliUkal Miller, Publisher Gail Feltch, Contributing Editor Street , Phone Entered as 2nd Class matter at the Post Office at Salt Lake City, Utah, under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription 63.00 per year. Single copy 10c Published weekly at 421 Church Street, Salt Lake City, Utah. 421 Church EDITORS NOTE: This is the first in a series of articles on the fame of politics for everyone. Is Politics Tour Job?4 will point out why the average citizen should take an active Interest In politics; how he can get the kind of politics he wants and how he can really get something done by doing his part. The material In these articles is adapted from a pamphlet published by the League of Women Voters of the United tSates. 49 October 21, 1955 Yol. 9; Ho. 40 Kfhys, Mows, Told in Series SHOULD I GET INTO POLITICS? Active Member Does One Man Count? When a voter looks at the total votes cast in a presidential NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION, 1955 election dose to 50 million he is apt to fed mighty small when it comes to making himself heard in making himself count as Editorial a political unit in a democracy. What is one vote more or less? Who .notices whether he ( votes or not? What difference will it make? This feeling of helplessness is general. But it's not based Utahs invitation to speak must have been selected from bids on facts. Many important elections turn on a very few votes. from throughout the nation by Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., U. S. Franklin D. Roosevelt became governor of New York on a small Ambassador to the United Nations, when he was deciding where 1928. votes in of 25,000 margin to speak on the eve of the UNs Tenth Anniversary. In 1944, for example, one Mis- meanstothat a lot of people will be kept pleased or hell lave souri congressman got in by a be out Naof luck next time and Reviewing Utahs most publicized record on the United margin of 300 votes with 63,000 politicians are always thinking tions, this would seem a rather strange choice in some respects. qualified voters in his district of next time. Speculation would indicate Iris decision a wise choice, both for staying away from the polls. A IS POLITICAL PRESSURE Pennsylvania congressman nosed the people of Utah and for the nation. GOOD OR BAD? in by a margin of 500 votes in term The pressure groups is election, with 40,000 leard often in During the past few years Governor J. Bracken Lee has out- the same our democracy. to say yes voters not The mental picture of their operspokenly refused to proclaim, officially, the celebration of United or no to bothering him. ation behind the scenes, manipuNations Day in Utah. Each was probably thinking. vote matter? In lating things, pulling political What does During these years a great number of Utah citizens school the usual my and elec- wires, putting the heat on senacounty city tors and congressmen in generUN led children and adults alike backers, tion, by a plucky crew of a handful of voters deonly have continued to join the nation in paying their respects to die cide who is going to run local af- al interfering with democracy and keeping the people from getworld organization. fairs, and how. One vote counts what they want. an awful lot in these elections. ting is some truth in this There The average citizen's one vote Despite the fact that hundreds of Utahns have given loyal picture but pressure groups do support to the UN, it is logical to believe that the rest of the na- does count But when he also be- serve a purpose. The question Is tion has heard more about the Governors opposition to the comes a political worker, he can low to make them most helpful his effectiveness many most and of the organization. The nations press out of state is more interested multiply representative himvote Not fold. does he only individuals in dealing with a Governor than the less newsworthy self but he makes himself a com- people. Everyone has . his own. ideas in the state. mittee of one to see that others, government should who have that feeling aboutbutwhat he knows that at some do, When Ambassador Lodge accepted Utahs invitation to speak about their votes,hopeless snap out of it point we have to begin to throw in the states capital he may have had two thoughts in mind. arid go to the polls. He gets his in with others who are more or First, as a spokesman for the UN he may have seen the wise family to vote. After he has cast less of the same mind that is his ballot, he comes home and if he wants an considers to be most, effective. the what nation from opposition in strategy speaking takes care of the baby while bis A must act here even show person that can he invitation this center. By. accepting wife goes to tnd?)olls. He tells but there are times on his own, when a group the men and women in the shop must act there,is stnig support for the UN. together. Pressure or office where he works about the on he the do token turns the nations same groups the keeping spotlight By the state law which gives them elected officials job of on now who posted remained have in Utah or unheard, persons loyal time off to' vote often with pay. forgotten, all kinds of He gets them to vote. If he can, of interests people with all kinds supporters despite the top brass opposition. fed about an issue he gets them to vote his way. or bill. It is a great honor for Utah to be host to the top representa- But what he hammers on is the Pressure groups should not be tive of the United Nations on this anniversary date. importance of their voting, even classified as good or bad. the other way if thats how they should be studied. Two They If these two reasons had anything to do with his acceptance see it kinds of pressure groups are recEven a bad politician will of the invitation and there must be many other reasons the the special interest ognized: state of Utah and die United Nations backers owe him a debt stop, look and listen if it takes groups and the public interest number of votes to elect which can be paid only by continued loyalty and support of the ahimbig over his opponent. That groups. Special interest groups, l.e. NaUnited Nations. tional Education Association for teachers, - National Association of BUMMEL PATTERN Manufacturers, local unions, each SHOP has a right to present its own point of view in a democracy. In 455 West 7th South Kentuckys Finest YEAR OLD judging their political action it must be taken into account that Phone EL they are made up of people who . Why Utah? - '( ten-year-o- . ld have the ame point of view about a problem. They are generally composed of people with a common professional or vocational outlook on life. The public interest groups are not just those groups that claim to have the public interest at heart. Many of the special interest groups are made up of a n of citizens. There are no special requirements for membership. They can claim to be true public interest groups almost in proportion tq the degree they are a true They are not merely who think' they are doing something which is good for all of the people. Public groups build to win support of lots of people who understand right solutions and will work to attain them. In the state and local sommu-nitie- s there have been few true public interest broups. In looking into these groups one must be careful in sizing up citizen orToo often there is ganizations. a bond which means a special point of view. While a fcitizen is deciding whether or not to join a pressure group, and if so which one, they are busily at work. Some of them are working to get people out to vote and generally wake up citizens. All of them are trying to make their representatives think they represent the average citizen. Whether to join one of than, how hard to work for them, determines their character whether they are good" or bad. If a citizen thinks pressure groups are bad, the only answer is to help make them good. The average citizen can get in there and punch between elections through his own pressure group or groups. He can keep his representative posted on what he wants. He can keep himself posted on how his representative is voting on what he wants. Pressure groups are here to stay. Pressure groups which are thoroughly represented can be built by people who are out to serve special interests to the good of the public welfare. The second series of Politics-T- our Job will deal with the role of the mechanics of political parties. cross-sectio- cross-sectio- n. do-goode- rs interest IEBBTS PYRAMID SERVICE t 575 South 2nd East Q Redwood Auto Sales RW2IEH and Salvage Gum1 KENTUCKY MMUD AND HUM AND MTTin BlSTHUST CO 3 1810 BV DMDSTOVN, UNTUCK OR OUT OF TOWN . i 314 South Redwood Baud PHONE EL SHOP i 921 So. 2nd W. Specializing in BEGINNERS, ADULTS and CHILDREN Ph. EL 9-10- 67 IT'S BETTER Hard Surfaces For parking Lots Tennis Courts Driveways - FREE ESTIMATES GLADLY 3000 Beck Street 66 ALTA GARNER DU RITE BODY 47 Sessions Aphalt, Paving Co. FOR THE BEST DEAL IN SINCE PHONE EL Popular and Classical GIVEN Phone EL 9-22- 52 Ed Jones Texaco Service Specialist Tune-U- p - Brake Service Welding Acetylene and Electric 3909 Highland Drive Ph. CR 7-00- Salt Lake City, Utah PAGE TWO October 21, 1955 417 Church Street Phono EL 95 THE UTAH STATESMAN 25 t 'YOUR CAR IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE MAN WHO SERVICES S IT |