Show r. r r M MORE RE COMPULSORY PATRIOTISM 1 Much has hus been said about the f failure of so man many qualified i electors to toh ke take part in the clec- clec S 01 tion last fall fall fall-as as if this poor showing shO ing had been the result of a a. alack t. t lack of interest on the part of 1 the people am and a ofF falling in int If this conclusion t 1 patriotism were well founded there would r indeed be cause for larm but fl fortunately it seems to be a n case caseL L' L where the smoke r results from froma a a. fire firo that is not likely to have haye fI disastrous results It is true f that the tho campaign was conducted j with such uch fer fervor or that it should hn have e interested even eyen the tho most rt o lethargic among the voting yoting pop pop- i And we are arc convinced th that t the defection was was not sofi so fi much the result of a lack of interest interest interest in- in terest as of an un interest that ended in bewilderment Many conscientious patriotic electors Y became involved in a maze while endeavoring a ring to find their way through the gatherum i of real and imaginary issues in inan an all unusually complicated campaign cam- cam k and we the believe that many r oi of the of-the the electors decided t tai J stay r at t home hume on till election da day rather r. r r than cast an nn unintelligent vote yote Of course we will admit that it is a debatable question tion whether Y er a u stay home policy is justified justi justi- t. t fled tied fied b by these circumstances or S whether the tile perplexed elector I f sh should be seized by the strong h hand of the Law and ff forced ed toC to C produce a u vote will willy willS We re maintain that no nu vote is infinitely infinite infinite- f l ly h better than a vote ynte that is not f 1 directed h by r the mind and conscience con con- K science of the voter oter because the one is 15 at most niost but negatively negatively'S S 'S harmful while the other is often c w pernicious I F A J bill is pending in the Senate u i of this state which if it b becomes becom becom- j es u u. law will impose a tax of 3 8 upon every qualified elector who i x for reasons other than thun sickness r t absence fails to vote t at the general municipal or school elections The measure is to pr not intended to raise revenue i f t but to obtain the expression of I the majority of the people f at the polls We Ye are opposed opposed opposed op- op posed to such sch legislation for the same reason reason renson that we would oppose op- op f t. t i 1 pose a revival of the Inquisition p If the If-the the bill wo would ld only provide some means of sharpening the f t wits of all the people so the they could consider all matters clatters strict- strict F i fa l. l lyon their merits and in the r fi field ld of politics separate the I 4 i t I x f sheep from the goats and al alt always ul- ul t t s va ways ways s exercise charity charit withal I i then we would the adoption J. J tion of the measure al although though thought t I the penalty which it prescribes t h would not be needed But since f the bill is lacking in this respect J we prefer to wait until the gentle gen geil- r tie tle ministrations of the little littleR R- R red schoolhouse can furnish the I stimulus necessary for an enlightened enlightened enlightened en en- lightened patriotism i |