A CITIZEN'S GREAT POWER
A candidate for governor in a
southern state recently won the
nomination of his party—and vir
tually certain election—with a
vote total that was considerably
less than half of the total of legal
voters in the state. And the num
ber of legal voters was less than
half of the total of elibible voters.
So the governor wilt serve as the
choice of a comparatively small
percentage of the state’s citizenry.
If his political principles and
acts do not please the non-voting
75 percent of the citizenry, they
will not be entitled to complain.
This situation is typical of the
apathy of a big percentage of the
American citizenry. In the nation
as a whole and counting all politi
cal elections—local, state and na
tional—an average of only about
20 percent of the voters vote reg
ularly.
Four Out Of Ten
The presidential election of 1952
set an all-time record when not
quite 60 percent of the adult pop
ulation voted. However, in the
average city block of ten homes
this would mean that four homes,
or four families, didn't appreciate
their freedom and their prosper
ity sufficiently to study the can
didates and the issues and then
vote. Lack of voting means just
tha'—for our freedom and our
economic progress in America
depend on the kind of govern
ment we have.
What causes the apathy of our
American citizens toward politics
and voting? There are many caus
es. The most prevalent basic
cause is a lack of understanding
of the principles of the Amercan
system. Another cause is the fail
ure of so many citizens to assess
the value of individual freedom.
They have never lived under the
regimentation of a socialist gov
ernment or in a dictatorship or
police state.
Vote Doesn't Count
Millions of citizens do not vote
because they feel that their indi
vidual vote would be insignifi
cast in the total, would not change
the outcome—so why bother! This
attitude continues to be wide
spread in spite of the dramatic
instances of close votes in recent
years. For instance, the 1952 pres
idential vote in Kentucky was:
495,729 for Stevenson; 495,029 for
Eisenhower. Just 700 votes decid
ed Kentucky’s choice for Presi
dent of the United States.
The 1952 presidential vote in
Tennessee was 446,147 for Eisen
hower; 443,710 for Stevenson.
Just 2,437 votes decided the issue.
All over America there were inci
dents in 1952 and again in the
congressiosal elections of 1954
demonstrating the power of a
single citizen’s vote. Some of the
congressional races were decided
by margins of a few hundred
votes or less.
One Vote's Power
Back in the 1840s in DeKalb
County, Ind., there lived a grain
miller. He started to his mill on
election day to grind his grain.
On the way he met some friends
who persuaded him to go to the
polls instead. The records show
that the candidate to the state
legislature won toy one vote—and
the miller had voted for him. That
legislator cast the deciding vote
that sent Edward Allen Hannegan
to the U.S. Senate. The question
of statehood for Texas came up
for a vote while Hannegan was
acting as president pro tern. The
vote was tied. Hannegan cast the
deciding ballot in favor of admit
ting Texas to the Union.
You couldn’t convince that In
diana miller that his vote was in
significant; nor could you con
vince the people of Texas that it
was.
Stevenson Contends
Eisenhower Has Withheld
Truth of Foreign Affairs
By (he Associated Press
Adlai Stevenson contended yes
terday that President Eisenhower
has endangered the peace by
withholding “the whole truth”
about tragic developments
abroad.
Stevenson cited the new crisis
in the Middle East as an example.
He' pursued this theme as he
carried forward his final week’s
drive for votes with scheduled
speeches in Maryand, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania after a roaring
reception Monday night in Bos
ton’s Mechanics Hall.
There, taking note of news that
Israel’s military forces had struck
across the Egyptian frontier
toward the Suez Canal, the Dem
ocratic standard bearer said it
was hard to speak “about today’s
ominous and confusing develop
ments in the Middle East."
“But I must say this—and it is
only to repeat what I haVe been
saying thruout this campaign,"
he said. “The government in
Washington has been telling us
{hat all is well in the world, that
there is peace, that there is—as
the President announced only a
few days ago—'good news’ from
the Middle East.
i “These reassurances— as to
“These reassurances — as to
tragically less than the truth . . .”
Members of an obscure Siberian
tribe reputedly licked lollipops
of iron when they felt the need
of a tonic.
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