Show I What Is Wrong With Voter I By GENERAL J. J G. G HARBORD What is the average American voter He lie pot not only does not attend the primaries but he does not pro go o to the polls on election da day lav On-l On Only pO 0 O pe per cent toni of the qualified vote of or the United can be depended upon to turn out for elec- elec Is it surprising that governmental business thus UlUI gets into the hands of those who make a t pro- pro lon of it The effect effe of this rence on the tle body politic politics Is s augmented b by the f fact fact ct that the average American American Ameri Amen can voter keen as as he inay Ilay be bli about ordinary bustness business bust busi ness neS'S matters is carrl carried away W Y by a fine tine line Ime of po political po- po l talk and a accepts cc without investigation the the political leaders tell telI him Absorbed 1 in his own business his unfamiliarity with political theory inclines him TI to look 1001 as a remedy romed for all existing political Ills HIs His l first instinct In Jn such matters Is to demand a law With the statute o othe on the books s he considers er his his his' duty du ty d done doie ef not being particularly particularly par par- con concerned with its Its' execution Those who had much g with our French allies during the war var will the familiar phrase C It It is written That was was the excuse for anything which Il 11 a. a t Frenchman did lId not wish to change The bridge was built when the blueprints were finished We are not very different that in our attitude toward political Issues We think a law liw can dc do anything Many tany earnest Americans believed that the Die eighteenth nt nt once passed would not only br r liquor from our borders but would cure the thirsty of desiring It Tennessee passes a law against teaching evolution and expects by It to tc paralyze the trend of thought nn and 1 kill the desire fo for knowledge Others want a uniform law for tor ce the very very complex relationship complex r of marriage to tobe De solved by it 5 i tj ti pe te voter exp expects ts it not nol only to rf regulate human conduct but Jut to change human human hu hu- hu man nature It Is no w that that with this atti atU- tude of the pter our nine forty-nine law factories ar arp working I Furthermore th tire the average a American voter does not take the trouble t to tp have ha an opinion on the foreign foreign for for- eign pH policy y of our our country The average American voter gives tl e little consideration to the tire rapidly ly changIng changIng changing chang chang- ing character of our government Few documents In fn th o of ot the world have received as praise praie as an the American Constitution Presided overby over overby by bv George Washington the convention which adopted adopt adopt- ed it composed the very cream pf of the colonial In Intellectuals Ip- Ip and their highest t types p s in character and labored four l months in its formation tIon Read over in our da day It reveals reveal no special mark marl of or di divine di- di vine inspiration and many a modern corporation lawyer plumes himself th thai t he CP ld write a better one ne Confederations of states were vere almo almost almot t as old 5 as 11 human humn history Pure democracy cra y had already paused caused the ruin of more than onE great treat empire Nations had fo for fo- centuries Ibern into administrative ad ad- entitles entities Our OUI claim to greatness lay In the fine adjustment of th the powers of government government government govern govern- ment assigning certain of at them to the tho federal government and reserving leser others to the tire states Local government lo r fo local affairs federal government gov goy for national matters matter It It and It f It yet functioned as by the fathers would be FUn cUll the bet bent machinery yet devised by man for forthe forthe forthe the m maintenance i of a a nation without destroying or local self Put But now It has become p p pertinent to ask Is it possible for forcen a cen central ral government go to 10 regulate te and e the ClaU dally lives of ot a hundred and find ten of ot people people peo peo- pie without becoming be top top-he top top-hervy y Is Ta It possible with an l e-l electorate tt a as ls mixed and heterogeneous as ours and with such Ruch dh diverse needs Shall the conduct conduct con con- duct of citizens ns o of ot Kansas be prescribed by congressmen con eon gressmen from frem Rhode leland Inland or he be supervised althe at al atthe atthe the e expense pense of the taxpayers of New Mexico Is the tire constitution out pf of date or Is it still the best charter of or government yet devised by the mind of moan men man These are questions which each voter must determine for himself We are near the parting of ot the wa ways s 's Tr ht 1 iq- iq I fi o m I ir tP p. p Inc |