A POLITICAL STOCK-WHIP

That long-suffering favorite of the cartoonists, Mr. Common People, has staggered along through the magazines for over a decade loaded down with every conceivable kind of tax; but now State Senator Green of Kansas comes forward to propose a new one,--a tax to be levied on every citizen who fails to go to the polls and cast his vote. The suggestion is an interesting one and its reception in the Kansas legislature should be even more interesting. The "100 per cent American" who has graced Fourth of July functions with references to the "starry flag" and the glorious "king of birds" has always exhorted his audiences to avail themselves of that "scared privilege of every redblooded American,--the right to vote." And too often the "sacred privilege" has been utilized by a compact, well-organized body of men who make politics their business,--and by very few others.

Failure to vote, has probably contributed more to political disasters in this country than any other single cause. In the long run the people can be trusted to vote right, as Jefferson maintained,--if their, interest is first aroused. But therein lies the difficulty. In nine cases out of ten, failure to vote can only be charged to laziness. The plea of "disinterestedness" is a ready excuse for all who are too lazy to inform themselves enough to vote intelligently, and an unintelligent vote is worse than no vote at all.

The proposed tax undoubtedly would result in the casting of more ballots. So would the application of a perfected goad get bigger droves of cattle from the stockyards across to the slaughter houses. In both cases the physical herding is accomplished and very little else. What is the good of a tax to swell the totals already far too big, of a vote cast in part or total ignorance of issues, candidates and policies?