New-York tribune. [volume], February 19, 1920, Page 7, Image 7

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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Compu
Penalty Asked
For All Who
Fail to Vote
Increasing Tendency Shown
to Slight Ballot; Election
Day Treated a? a Day for
Self, Not for Country
Neglect Hurts Nation
Plank Is Suggested That
Would Compel Every
Citizen to Visit Polls
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In advocacy of a proposal for a
plank in the forthcoming Republican
platform to compel electors to vote at
811 primary and regular elections, I
submit the following:
The very essence of a democracy
tuch as ours is government by the
majority.
All political decisions in our form
of government originate in party pri?
maries. The results of primaries as |
now operated are not expressive of the
sriil of the majority, as it frequently
happens that less than 50 per cent of
the enrolled voters cast their ballots.
After the nominations are decided at
the primaries the relative importance
of the elective positions at the general
elections determines to a great extent
the proportion of the votes actually
cast. For many minor offices the com?
bined votes cast for all candidates are
not infrequently a bare majority of all
the eligible votes.
Hence there arises from many of our
best citizens acrimonious criticisms of
the standing of the candidates to be
voted upon, and still further criticism
of the persons selected.
The exercise of political franchise is
a solemn duty every citizen owes not
alone to himself but to the nation as
well. It is increasingly apparent that
many of the best of our citizenry look
opon both primary and regular elec?
tion day? as holidays in which to in- i
dulge themselves in pleasures, rather
than occasions upon which to show
their patriotism and love of country
by endeavoring to secure the most rep?
resentative citizens to conduct the af?
fairs of the community.
Many of our governmental ills axe
directly traceable to delinquencies on
the part o: the citizens themselves, and ;
this impels me to suggest the remedy j
proposed.
The practice of inflicting a so-called j
poll tax in some of the states for the
privilege of voting is, to my mind, dia- I
metrically opposed to the principles of
representative government. Instead of
?r.flictiriir a monetary punishment on a
person for voting, the direct antithesis
should be adopted?that is, of making
it a penalty for failure to vote.
C. A. M'ALLISTER.
Hotel Bretton Hall. Broadway and
Eighty-fifth Street.
--?-?
'America First' Suggested
As Creed of Candidates
Swiaa System of Military Train?
ing Urged as Guide in Re?
building U. S. Army
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: "America first and foremost**
should be the very creed of any and
all aspiring candidates for a public
office. The recent European imbroglios
should have taught us to refrain from
meddling in foreign affairs. Engaging
in politics abroad means neglect and
injury to our own government.
Americanization by education is the
best medium by which to extirpate
radicalism. Teach children true de- j
mocracy. Elucidate to them its virtues,
opportunities and the privileges it be?
stows. Indicate also the inadequacies
of the government in a manner to
create constructive criticism.
The Swiss system of military train?
ing ;s acknowledged to be the best.
Why not adopt it? Let us not be like
the man who said, "I know I'm wrong,
hut you can't convince me." Their
method applied here would mold ideal
timber for a sound ship of state.
The United States should establish
and maintain an adequate merchant
marine. We are overlooking the foreign
trade and other countries are beating
us to the world's best markets.
J. DANIELS.
Military Training Plank
Seen as Benefit to Public
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Since you are asking sugges
t.":.s for pianks in the Republican plat?
form, 1 ?ugtrest military training for
our youths and young men.
&sk any man who was trained in the
famous 7th New York what he thinks
of military tiaining, and at the same
time notice his superior carriage and
gentlemanly manner.
GEORGE A. KENT.
Conditions of the
Platform Contest
The Tribune invites you to writ?
planks for a Republican platform
and to write letters about planks
proposed by other readers through
its columna.
For the best planks and letton
The Tribune offers these prises:
For the beet plank.$S0?.??
For the second beet plank.. 250.00
For each of the eight next
best planks.~.lOOuOO
For the beet letter a daily
priie of . 1040
For the best letter ta the
whole competition ...... 10040
The Tribune will make up a plat?
form of ten planks to be determined
by yonr votos. The ten issue* re?
ceiving the most votes will be the
planks. The ten planks that beat
express the chosen issuee will be
?elected for the prise awards.
Each plank is limited ta 100 werde.
Of two planks or letters of equal i
Bfertt the shorter will be choses,
Every plank and letter moat bear
the name and address ef the sender,
although a nom de pierna will be
published if the writer desires.
The contest will close at midnight?
April 80, 1920. Manuscript* wfll aal
be returned.
The judges of the contest will be
^r?? of The Tribune's editors. They
w111 base their decisions ?a aanad
thinking end brevity, clearness and
?^ngth of statement.
?
lsory Ballot L
? - ?- -:-?-*
Some Suggested Planks
Among the mass of suggestions for planks in the Republican
platform are the follou?ng:
All Citizens Mutt Vot?
To insure that all elective public
office holders shall truly be repre?
sentative of the will of the majority
of the people, the Republican party
hereby pledges itself, so far as con?
stitutionally possible, to enact leg?
islation, both Federal and state,
making it mandatory for all citizens
entitled to exercise the franchise
to cast their votes at all primary
and regular elections, unless pre?
vented from so doing by illness or
for other unavoidable reasons.?C. A.
McAllister, Bretton Hall, city.
War Training Demanded
Believing that some form of uni?
versal military training is the surest
and, in the long run, the most eco?
nomical and democratic safeguard
against external danger, the Repub?
lican party will enact legislation to
provide such training at the earliest
practicable time.?A. W. Bennet.
Distribute Industrial Profits
With full realization that the
world's greatest cyclic change,
through which we are now passing,
has demonstrated the necessitv for
laws which will insure equable dis?
tribution of the profits in industry,
we will, with the assistance of stu?
dents of the problem (regardless of
party affiliations), make honest ef?
fort to cause the enactment of such
laws?W. B. P.
Cabinet Part of Congress
With a view to better coordinat?
ing the executive and legislative
branches of our government, we fa?
vor making the Cabinet officers "ex
offlcio" members of both the House
of Representatives and the Senate,
with all the privileges of member?
ship, except the right to vote. And,
further, each such officer shall be se?
lected by the President, but only with
the consent and approval of both
houses.?M. V. Seymour jr., 32 S.
Edwards Hall, Princeton, N. J.
Fair Division of Prosperity
Organization of labor and capital
are compatible with present-day con?
ditions. Neither should enjoy rights
inimical to the other. Labor should
be made to feel its indispensability,
to realize its rights, so long as they
do not conflict with the rights of
others. Capital should be made an
agent for social good. The Republi?
can party believes in governmental
control such as will check both labor
organizations and corporations when
they do wrong, holding each account?
able, recognizing their rights and
encouraging both when they do well.
No great industrial well being can
be maintained unless labor and cap?
ital prosper equally.?C. A. Lem
mers, Budget and Efficiency Com?
missioner, Capitol Building, Denver.
Protect U. S. Foreign Trade
The prosperity of a nation, the
welfare of its farmers, laborers and
other citizens, depends upon the busi?
ness that nation does with the rest
of the world. The Republican party
pledges itself to foster our growing
foreign trade by removing all un?
necessary hindrances to our inter?
national business and by instituting
liberal legislation to this end and
to the establishment of an American
merchant marine that shall be su?
preme.?Nathan Wartels, 3328 Wood?
land Avenue, Philadelphia.
Pensions for Veterans
We advocate adequate disability
and service pension laws. We rec?
ommend the passage of laws for the
rehabilitation of wounded and nerve
wrecked veterans, and laws giving
them the preference in Civil Service
and other public positions which the
government can legally offer them.
?Wade Hampton Thompson, New
Canaan, Conn.
Definition of Free Speech
"Free speech" might he defined to
be "The expression of private or
public opinions that do not incite,
or tend to incite, to acts of violence;
are not provocative of seditious
propaganda, and that do not in any
way defame the citizens, or the Con?
stitution, or the insignia, or the in?
stitutions of the United States of
America." 'Thus defined any in?
fringement of free speech shall con?
stitute a penal offense, and any of?
fender thereof shall be subject to
criminal prosecution.?H. V, W.
Gent
Safety for Americans
Any American in the lawful pur?
suit of his business or pleasure in
foreign countries is entitled to the
full support and protection of the
government, and it is the pledge of
the Republican party that all the
military, naval and diplomatic re
s<yirces of the United States will be
used to protect its citizens in for?
eign countries from aggression, false
arrest and discrimination, it being a
matter of principle that any Ameri?
can, anywhere, is as safe as he would
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Citizenship for Women
The Republican party favors direct
citizenship for, women and would
favor the passage of laws making
possible the naturalization of mar?
ried women and abolishing the prac?
tice of granting citizenship through
marriage.?G. J. K.
Curb on Bolshevism
Our Constitution provides a legal
method by which its provisions may
l be amended. The right of American
; citizens pursuing constitutional
I methods to advocate any change de
| sired in our Constitution, or laws, is
! sacred and must not be abridged
! under any circumstances. There is
no justification in this country for
; the use of force or the advocacy of
force, or violence, to effect such
? changes. We favor the enactment of
; laws making ineligible to any office
of trust or emolument under the
| Federal government of any person
i who advocates or who belongs to an
j organization advocating the over
j throw or change in our government
j by force or violence.-Robert W.
. Bonyn^e.
No Degrees in Citizenship
There should be no degrees in
good citizenship. Absolute obedience
to constituted authority and to con?
stitutional and statutory laws is tho
sacred duty of every person on Amer?
ican soil, naturalized or unnatural
ized, and the courts should so func?
tion that real justice to all litigants
or accused persons, or organizations,
shall be guaranteed. Bolshevism
should be squelched by unfaltering
hands. The Republican party pledges
itself to hearty and unqualified ef?
forts to bring about such a condition.
?C. A. Lemmers, Budget and Effi?
ciency Commissioner, Capitol Build?
ing, Denver.
The Covenant of the League
A successful league of nations can
do much to protect weak peoples and
prevent needless war?. Only with
America's aid can thi3 league ac?
tually secure the international jus?
tice and peace we believe in. The
American spirit scorns selfish aloof?
ness from such a cause. While re?
serving complete American sover?
eignty we dare to join other free
peoples for the maintenance of right?
eousness among nations. We, there?
fore, repudiate the policy alike of
the irreconcilables who reject the
league utterly and of the Adminis?
tration which shortsightedly refuses
assent to reasonable reservations.
America cannot long evade the large
participation in world affairs which
Providence offers.?-A. T. Otis, 15 Dsj
senbury Place, White Plains, N. Y.
Wipe Out "Red" Parties
The Republican party pledges it?
self to the enactment of laws deny?
ing the right to a place on the ballot
as a political party to all organiza?
tions whose tenets and principles
look toward a forcible overthrow of
our form of government or the put?
ting in effect of these principles and
which are or may be controlled by
aliens.?Richard Marlowe, Realty
Building, Elmira, NI? V.
Irged ai
Alien Calls on
Republicans
To End Unrest
Substantiate Government
Structure While Crush?
ing Vicious Elements
That Seek to Destroy
To the Editor of The Tribuno:
Sir: I am an alien. I am far from
ever becoming nn enemy alien, how- j
ever. I am awaiting patiently the hour
when I shall be honored with my final
papers of American citizenship. I feel
that the great soul of America has in it
the heart-throb of humanity, and 1 am
anxious to satisfy my highest ideals
as an integer in the great accounting
of her national destiny.
It seems to me that it must be evi?
dent to the most obtuse that the, tide
has turned toward the probability of a
Republican administration.
As u party consideration you will see
1 that this does not concern me in the
least. But. because of the promise of
? a to-morrow more substantial, orderly,
just and beneficent, through tho means
I of a great party imbued with a bal
| anced and yet visioned idealism, I warm '
to the likelihood of Republican ascend?
ency.
In other words, the incoming of tho
! new r?gime has a touch of romance
about it. It is not the victory of a
i party; it is rather tho obligating of a
! great majority of the American people
??conscientiously to face the vicious un
1 rest within our own border* and not
; compromise and side-step, but with
firmness and wisdom substantiate the
j tottering structure and none the less
conscientiously face the challenge to
maintain national security and dignity
without selfishness.
Were I, therefore, to suggest a plat?
form for the "Republican party at this
momentous hour it might lack defi
niteneBs and detail, but it would be
shot through with characteristic Amer
can idealism. MURRAY VANN.
"Up-State."
s Need
fo-Day's P
To the Editor of The Tribune. '
Sir: In this day when patriotism
is being lost sight of in an imprac?
tical attempt to apply "Samaritan
Ism" to world politics, and the sacred
rights of the individual citizen of
this country are being forgotten in
an attempt to secure the votes of
certain classes, the Republican party
can best serve the American people
by advocating more strongly than
ever before those two principles for
which it has always stood?namely,
the protection of the United States
government and the protection of
the United States citizen.
The United States government
must bo protected against the ag?
gression of other nations?first, by
military and naval forces adequate
for defense, and, second, by an avoid- |
anee of all entangling alliances.
It must be protected against de - j
structive agents in this country by
a careful regulation of immigration,
the deportation of all undesirable
aliens, the punishment of all citizens
plotting or preaching destruction of
this government and, most important
of all, by ? system of education '
which would instill in both the
strangers coming to our shores and
the youth of oar own land a sound
conception of good citizenship.
Abroad, if we are to be a strong,
respected nation, we must not only
uphold the dignity of tho nation as
a whole, but must protect the rights
and privileges of each individual cit?
izen. We cannot afford to stand by
and watch and wait while our citi?
zens are being murdered and out?
raged in Mexico. Our fellow coun?
trymen must be allowed to go about
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their legitimate business in foreign
lands and on the high seas, with full
assurance of the protection of their
government.
At home the citizen should be just
as free. No political or class op?
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fere with his legitimate business and
pleasure. This protection of citizens
at home could be effected by (1)
avoiding class legislation, (2) rec?
ognizing the right of ail citizens to
form cooperative associations for the
purpose of effective bargaining, and
(3) emphasizing their fundamental
right to free speech and assemblage.
The citizen has the right of pro?
tection against maladministration of
je Den
the government. The system of j
checks and balances which is the
natural safeguard against misuse of j
power should be perfected. The j
limits of jurisdiction of the various
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In the election of officers of the
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ple and the nation.
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2934 Macomb Street N. W., Wash?
ington, D. C.
Friendly Relation of Labor
And Capital Called Vital
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Unrest and dissatisfaction hin?
der the nation's growth and resource?
fulness. Friendly relations between
labor and capital is the paramount ad?
justment needed to-day. The results
would be increased production, lower
prices, increased purchasing power of
a dollar, stimulation of patriotism, in?
creased money in circulation per capita,
home building and thrift.
JOHN C. NEWTON.
Columbus, Ohio.
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