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Show mt Salt Take Sr ih C- ' -' First Section ' Vi V Tuesday Morning, November 2, 1 976 PI mint or! f Xj liUO uo Vrifp T-T- oc vy More.' Bui OnlvJ The day that looked so far away when this years election campaign got started has arrived. Today is the end of the trail for contesting candidates Now, the . vot- ers take over. Normally , theres nothing ( tions quadrennial election of a president. Selecting the countrys top political leaders has no equal as far as the direct participation of every adult American citizen is concerned. It is both the foundation and wonder of democracy as practiced in the United States. But is it being taken too much ior granted? Reports indicate that Americans, rather than eagerly anticipating their opportunity to vote, are staying away from the polls in ever larger numbers. This is supposed to reflect a growing conviction that one persons vote makes no significant difference. In fact, there never was a time when each persons vote counted more. Recent events in national government, resignations of both a vice president and president for alleged misdeeds, immoral behavior by congressmen, were supposed to signal a time when elected officials would be held more accountable by a startled and angry public. But if voters TiT no Apathy One of the laws of physics, informally stated, is that you cant get 10 gallons of water into a 5 gallon pail. The same law applies, in a general sense, to publishing a newspaper. It is impossible to publish all the material that comes into the cilice. The consequences are obvious; a selection has to be made, 10 gallons have to be reduced to the best 5 gallons that will fit the pail available. Or the news hole m newspaper vernacular. What applies to all departments of the paper also applies to The Public Forum. More so during an election campaign than the rest of the year. The demand for space in the Public Forum increases several fold during presidential election years. This year was no exception. When election morning rolled around The Tribune found it impossible to publish 69 letters submitted to the Fublic Forum. Despite allocating additional space on the page opposite several days, it was physically impos- uuglianN Orbiting Paragraphs With every politician claiming that he has turned the economy around, the chances are 50 percent that it has ended up facing in its original direction. To the accusation that he has no firm conv ictions. Congressman Sludgepump says that's true, but hes had a couple of indict- ments Tax reforms are like a lot of patent medicines, which probably dont hurt you unless you let the commercials raise your expectations. The number of women who smoke cigars has gone up 400 percent in the last five years. So husbands who come home and find a PanaU-llin the ashtray should beware of harboring uniustified suspicions. Bill .Mauldin iN O- lirfi'KU fxt fV V1V 1 ro 1 VVV V last-minu- 524-450- Editor. Trubime I fed obligated to write iu regard to a Sen. Moss advertisement. It reads that "we should be concerned about Mr. Hatchs background and the source of his support money and backing," and implies that Ceors beer money and outsidp extremists are his main support. I, for one, along with many ot my friends parrmnitfl lnave. vuiiuuutxu 4a w vnu tlotnho r Mr. Hatch keeps saying that the way to and we are not "outside extremists. I am a!so aware that Bob Rice. Leo Jacobsen and other create now jobs is to offer tax incentives to lifelong Utah residents are members or Mr. those businesses that hire additional employes Herb's campaign committee. Mr. Hatch has each year. Such tax breaks would certainly add served as a local LDS bishop and is not ail fo our already exrrr.r.iye Njdtjei deficits, but even worse, it would require a great many "outsider without real local ties. additional bureaucrats whose considerable RAY NILSON office and salary expenses would burden the Bountiful. JTlnlU In lOULUlU V G.T. POULSON; Common Interests Editor, Tribune: Orrin Hatch was educated in Utah, married a Cache Valley girl, sacrificed a prestigious position in a Piuiauelphia firm to come home, served as an LDS bishop Utah, and educates his children here. I personally feel that he represents the common interests and goals of the people of Utah, legal ulesS of theii pai ty affiliation. The people who uphold the work ethic, high morality standards and honesty of their leaders. During an election year, Sen. Moss says he'll support the Right to Life Amendment, but has already failed to do so three previous times. He says we should support him because he is the most experienced, yet he supports Jimmy Carter who is the least experienced. He says he'll let the Right to Work Law alone, yet has received $h&.U(u money from unions. EARLENE BLASE, R, te 1. Potential Loss Editor, Tribune: As Utah receives more than billion a year through congressional appropriations, it is vital to our economy that we have a strong, influential voice in the United States! Sn Moss has such a nrvtipious voipp ' and it serves Utah's interests well. If we elect his boyish, untried opponent who has no our loss iiifliiciu.c and no pertinent . will be tragic. More Letters on Page 11 If we are wise we can retain a senator who has demonstrated a deep concern for our state,-anits people and their problems; a senator who has given solid, effective performance for his constituency through the years. Or we cam elect Orrin Hatch, whose principal claim for support rests on mere words. If we fail to elect Sen. Moss in light of his; consistently pioductive performance for Utah and its people, our folly may come back to us; through a loss of political influence that could, do irreparable damage to the business and; other interests of our state and its citizenry. D P. ROMNEY' $1 ce nvo XJLUl U T sible to include all politically oriented letters, and still give readers a balanced presentation of commentary. The letters were not printed for a variety of reasons; chief of which was that most arrived too late to be processed and still be pertinent to the political campaign. Others were rejected because they did not comply with Forum rules. The unused letters represented ail sides of the political spectrum, as well as the pros and cons of the ballot issues. It wont be much consolation to the disappointed letter writers, but the fact we had 69 letters unused suggests strongly that the voter apathy doom-sayeclaim is rampant across the land isnt nearly as pervasive as they would have the public believe. Most people who write a letter to the editor arent professional writers, although many are very articulate. Thus, writing a letter to The Forum is a serious, deliberate, effort and we suspect, often an agonizing, one for these people. And a time consuming one. Most importantly, a letter to the editor represents that the writer feels keenly enough about a candidate or an issue to want to make her or his arguments or position public knowledge. Those P1 iinnuhljshe.i political letters are conclusive and gratifying evidence that the political processes are alive and working well. rs Man of Integrity? Outstanding Record Euiioi, Tribune. Veniuu B. Romney often speaks of integrity, yet in an Oct. 2 ad, he claims credit for increased airline routes to Utah, and for saving taxpayers millions by recovering child support and dependent wives payments "in excess of $4 million annually more than three times the entire budget of the Attorney General's office. These claims were immediately disputed, and state social services figures showed that after deducting fees and other costs of legal services, recoveries by Mr. Romney's office amounted to only about $11,000. His ad also claims full credit for the Supreme Court decision regarding the Great Salt Lake; worth billions to Utah. When challenged, he admits that the idea for the lawsuit and much of the ground work was conceived and initiated by his predecessor. His conscience must have bothered him recently, because m an Oct. 16 ad, before heaping outlandish credit on himself, he has included the phrase, in a lawsuit started by his predecessor. Editor, Tribune: There is no substitute for experience to qualify a person for the governorship of the state. Vemon B. Romney has that experience. For eight years he has been probably the most successful attorney general Utah has had in the last 50 years. Being appointed counsel for a powerful corporation does not qualify a person for competency as governor. The mind of such appointee is indelibly colored with the outlook and attitudes of the giant corporation which he has faithfully served, ibis is almost certain to reflect in applications of power and gas corporations to increase their rates against the average consumers. I have been a licensed attorney in Utah for over 50 years, a law professor for 38 years, and a student of politics all my adult life. Both Gov. Rampton and Atty. Gen. Romney were my law students It showed intestinal fortitude and admirable Herwhen recently bert Maw declared publicly for Mr. Romney as an alert, competent and dedicated public servant. I will go still further. Mr. Romney has demonstrated a judicious intellectual capacity in dealing with the varied and complex problems of modem state government. Vernon Romney is not a partisan to big corporate power, nor to big labor. His integrity is a proven fact. By study and experience, Mr. Romney is qualified to be a great governor for Utah. A. LADRU JENSEN Its ironic, but in one of the papers in which his Oct. 2 ad appeared, tlieie waa a large headline stating "Dishonesty Abhorred By The Lord, LDS Warned. Within the article it stated thai All forms of dishonesty, especially lying and thievery are considered by the Lord to be and major sins. In my opinion, false claims designed to mislead the voters and half-truth- s gain unfair advantage over an opponent, are as reprehensible as complete falsehoods. PHIL A. GERTSCH Gun-ov- Shallow Slogans Editor, TriDune: It is more than a little disturbing to me that one of the candidates for governor, Vernon Romney, apparently has little more to offer Utah than his lightweight record as attorney general and a blustering statement that, if elected, he would wage war on the federal government rom the seat of Utah state government. That very posture, when taken by Gov. Orval Faubus, Gov. Huey Long and Gov. Ross Barnett most assuredly didn't do their respective Southern States ail good. Quite (lie contrary. In the end, this kind of sloganeering is a hoax upon the electorate. Furthermore, it serves as excuse to dodge important an matters in which the governor can issues have significant influence. Utah doesnt need a governor who would forever be tilting at federal windmills. It would be instructive for Mr. Romney to keep in mind the fact that Utah is one of the federated states of the Union. Our resources dean coal, abundant copper, enid rolled steel, are used by our fellow, outstanding scenery citizens in the rest of the 50 states and we encourage their patronage. We as a state are r . aoni-noy'- s iiitc id-- . pendent with sister states. unseemly and shallow slogans are unworthy' of one who asks to be our governor. JACQUELINE MILLER Patrick J. Buchanan Low Turnout At Polls Tuesday? It Matters Little New York Times Special Features WASHINGTON Well, its Election Duv. For weeks, my brothers on the editorial pages have been keening over the possibility of the lowest voter turnout in - ' in rr face-to-fa- T-- all of us. taxpayers According to the U.5. Census Bureau in there were some 1J million businesses in the 11 million proprietorships and United States partnerships and about 2 million corporations. Can you visualize the size of the administrative staff (government employes) necessary to design report forms and' to institute ihe procedures necessary to receive, process, audit, and approve or disapprove the tax break claims? Besides, such a plan would encourage the creation of nenessential, jobs (featherbedding) as a means of qualifying; for tax breaks. 1 Editor, Trib'tne: Senatorial candidate Orrin Hatch has vowed repeatedly his support ior a balanced budget and his strong opposition to increased Federal spending or enlargement of the Federal bureaucracy. Now, on a TV spot, he makes a proposal day after day that mokes him sound insincere at worst and deplorably inconsistent at best. Certainly the intensity of local campaigns, whether for state, county or national office, should have generated more than the ordinary amount of interest and attention. But the only involvement having ultimate value is the one that puts Xs on the ballot today. For those needing information on voting districts and polling places, The Tribunes library service is available at Campaigns have been vigorous and resourceful, to some extent historic. Seldom have so many public debates been conducted, from the presidential race on down. Theres no excuse for complaining that its impossible to know where the candidates stand. In Utah, thoroughgoing discussion has also been waged over initiative proposals appearing on tne ballot. So, the debating, the discussing, the arguing and, yes, the accusing and deploring arrive at a conclusion today. The polls remain open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., the time for exercising the most fundamental right and obligation of American citizenship. Every eligible voters vote dees count. But, first, it must be cast. decades. Put away the crying towel, fellas. The primary cause, often overlooked, of diminishing voter turnouts is the expansion ol the franchise. Through the Voting Kignis Act of 1965, millions of Southern biacKs, iormeiiy excluded, got the right guaranteed to register and vote. Millions of young men and women, entranchised with the amendment. Both groups, historically, vote in low percentages, thus drawing down the national average. This is hardly something to deplore. It owners could vote, as in the early days of the Republic, wc would have a higher voter turnout and less democracy. So long as each American is free to register cr.d ote, v. hy upset ourselves :f he chooses not toexerci-- e the right. Maybe he has a good reason. Maybe he is sending the politicians a message. Perhaps voters aie fed up with the limited ) kid Idea uin W discount their own iiuluem;e cuiu, by ' dropping out, confirm the prognosis of mass apathy, they will tragically miss a crucial opportunity to restore conscience and discretion to the national politics. Traditionally, Utah has achieved remarkable turnouts for presidential elections, usually in the 80 to 93 - ;crc quite comparable to the na- Bill if It Is Cast JL XJJL JtL. No 'Outsider" Hi Ibi-r- : Oil OClUum "CViVnrvi TIip nr and not altogether exciting choices given by the two parties. Perhaps they miss the hoopla and enthusiasm of the campaigns of the old days now outlawed by lefunns by John Gardner and the Puritans of Common Cause. mid-wife- d Perhaps voters have come to recognize their v o'u-- s make no difference in the course of public policy. One recalls the story making the rounds in late 1965 about the fellow who declared his intention to vote for Goldw,.ter. Do that, his friends warned him, and within six months we will be at wnr in Asia, and there will be riots in the streets Well, said the fella, I did vote for Goldwaier anil darned if thev weren't nclil Vow 'Fiscal Responsibility In 1968, Republicans captured the presidency by denouncing the Great Society, and promising "fiscal responsibility." After eight years, tne ureai It is miuui was in and the country is $250 billion deeper in debt. Watergate and '.he endless rnc-iei- )8; revelations of congressional hanky-pank- y and bribery have hardly augmented voter enthusiasm for politics and politicians Pei imps a luwu- - voter lui nout reflects a new maturity among the American people. Perhaps American1 hoit come to realize that, despite the rhetoric, the future of the Republic does not lunge on the choice of this or that senator or congressman that what makes for personal fulfillment is individual achievement, not government largesse. During the nils, the nation was told that if only it made the effort and voted the money, poverty would be erased, the poor would be grateful and content, educational levels would rise, the cities would bloom, the Great Society would come into being, and peace and freedom would reign among men. We voted the money; we were had. Promises to Balance Budget Jimmy Carter was doing fine when he said, "1 will never lie to you." Then he promised to balance a federal budget $50 tv n4rl tlftO ip noiv programs, cut down on inflation, without and adding taxes on the middle doss perhaps reducing them. At that point, a third of a nation tuned him cut. Look at the bright side. The smaller the turnout, the more discerning cite eiectoiaie which chooses our leaders. Some surveys have shown that almost 10 percent of the electorate cannot identify the President, the vice president and the secretary of da?.Other surveys ha'e found half the voters in some congressional districts not knowing who their congressman was. instead ui i uiiiiiug nilly fauiO nu-- tO get those folks tO tile polls, maybe we ought to pay them a bonus - 1 for Maying home. (Copyright) v int's Candidate Editor. Tribune: As autumn brings our', traditional hunting seasons, I am reminded of a freedom that is ours under the Second Amendment of the Constitution, "the right of the people t keep and bear arms. At this time, our right to hunt and own firearms is under attack from high powered special interest groups. Their goal is Ihe registration and eventual confiscation of all lirearms. President Ford has repeatedly stated that he is against gun controls and favors placing the blame on the criminal not on the gun. Jimmy, Carter, on the other hand, has surrounded himself with aides who are vehemently ; and vote for Gerald Ford means the continuation of a freedom granted under the Constitution, the right to keep and bear arms. A vote for Jimmy Carter means the control and probable future confiscation of all firearms. D. CRAIG EURNINGIIAM West Jordan anti-gu- n A Duv No Harm Editor, Tribune: Since fluoride is an issue in this years campaign, I would like to tell of my experience with it. As a young child, I lived in a California community which had no fluorine in the water. By the age of six, I had four cavities in my first four permanent teeth ; When 1 was eight, my family moved to a community in New Mexico which had fluoridated well water. For Id naturally years 1 had no cavities, and still continue tot benefit from this fluoride received as a child, j According to "Textbook of Medical Physiolo- gy by Arthur C. Guyton, 4th ed., page 860, this continuing benefit is because fluorine ingested; in childhood actually becomes part of the tootli enamel, acting like a permanent fluoride treatment. And a miniscule daily dose of fluoride in ones water is more frequent than an' occasional surface treatment given by ones g dentist or in , toothpaste. Also I wish to point out that natural j fluoride is not different than artificial) fluoride. Fluorine is an element, one of 103 or soj kinds of atoms in our universe. Artificial; fluorine is extracted from natural fluoride-containisubstances. There are several elements which our bodies require in minute amounts which would be poisonous in large quantities. This is true of copper, zinc, cobalt, iodine, and manganese Fluorine is not accumulated to high levels by, the body, but is excreted, juct like sodium and chlorine (sodium chloride is our table salt.lf Neither Hoes fluorine harm the environment by accumulation, because, just like sodiumj chloride, nature does not concentrate it more than to salts, like our salt flats here in Utah. We need not fear clouds of fluorine gas. MRS. CATHERINE CONLEY CALARA. fluoride-containin- ng The Rilit Man Editor, Tribune: W. Robert Wright, candidate lor the State School Board, has already demonstrated his ability to serve on the board. He was a member of the board for 3' years until a change in his residence required his resignation. His fellow board members elected him chairperson of the board for two terms, 1974-7- 5 and 1975-7Under his leadership the state board for Cue first time adopted educational priorities for the state. For the first time it began planning its montlily agenda six months and more in advance. This enabled the board to formulate policy rather than merely react to problems on basis. Bob Wmnt also a month instigated statewide meetings with each of the locai school boards. This enabled the state board to become better acquainted with the educational problems at tne local level; throughout the stale. Bob 'Wright is a leader. He has proven his ability ior the posits n he seeks. Do bus ihe youth and energy necessary to provide capable leadership in solvmg our educational problems of today and to develop policy to chart a sound course for the future. th ' VERNON E. COOLEY |
