Indianapolis Times, Volume 44, Number 134, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 October 1932 — Page 19

OCT. 14, 1932.

PRESENT SETUP MAKES MANY VOTERS CYNICS Sense of Vagueness and Futility Keeps Electors From Polls. Thl.i 1 *hr *rrond and Ust of * aartra of artttlaa on lack of interest shown by American voter*. BY DR. HARRY' ELMER BARNF.S In a previous article I pointed out the marked decline in voting interest on the part of the American electorate. Today I shall discuss some reasons for this and possible ways of reviving popular interest in exercising the right of suffrage. To a considerable extent this lack of interest in voting is due to the large-scale and complicated nature of contemporary politics. This has destroyed that sense of immediate personal interest in elections and that curiosity about candidates characteristic of the earlier type of rudimentary local politics. A sense of vagueness and futility has superseded a rather keen personal interest in poltics that directly and visibly concerned the everyday life of the individual and in candidates who were the personal acquaintances of all or most of the voters. Cynicism Is Generated Undoubtedly, another source of political indifference is the cynicism generated by modern partisan politics and the accompanying corruption and incompetence. This creates the impression that it makes little or no difference, as to which party or policy prevails. It also might be pointed out in passing that this apparent lack of vital differences between party methods and policies has become essentially true in American political life today. This state of affairs offers a decisive refutation of the thesis that democratic government is bound to create parties with marked differences as to policy and procedure in government. One of the most disconcerting aspects of the democratic debacle is that people seem as indifferent and incompetent with respect to the socalled remedies for democratic failures as they are with regard to the processes of traditional democracy. Tt has often been held that the remedy for democracy is more democracy, namely, direct primaries, the initiative and referendum, and Ihe recall of judges and of judicial decisions.

Need Intelligent Interest The unfortunate fact is that if the people could make successful use of such devices they -would not need them. If they could develop the interest'and intelligence essential to any effective exploitation of such a mechanism as the initiative and referendum, they would be able to govern without it. These “remedies” for democratic failures make the same demands upon interest, attention and deliberation that are required for the success of conventional democratic processes. If the people can not muster enough interest and rationality to handle a general election, it scarcely can be imagined that they will do much in the way of successfully operating direct primaries or popular referendums. The experience with these devices of radical democracy in the last generation has shown that they fail as often as democracy of a more moderate type, and for the same reasons. Professor Harold F. Gosnell has been investigating this problem of voting under a democratic system abroad, and has embodied his conclusions in a recent volume entitled “Why Europe Votes.” Examining the situation in Great Britain, Germany, France, Belgium and Switzerland, he shows that there is a far greater interest in casting one’s ballot abroad than prevails in the United States. He recommends as measures which might improve the situation here: (1) Direct popular election of the President; (2) proportional representation: <3) the short ballot: .(4 permanent central registration of all voters; tft) complete notification of all eligible voters; (6) cancellation of voting privileges for failure to vote, and <7) a more clear and direct formulation of party issues. There are suggestions worth pondering. Certainly democracy hardly can b’ regarded as functioning when only half of its adult citizens have enough interest to turn out to register their choice as to our chief executive. Democracy Is majority rule. Ts the majority does not indicate its preferences, popular government becomes a farce. DEATH TAKES MOTHER OF MRS. MARSHALL Funeral Services to he Held at Angola on Sunday. /ty f ANGOLA. Ind., Oct. 14.—Funeral services for Mrs. Lois Stone Kimsey, mother of Mrs. Thomas R. Marshall, will be held here Sunday. Mrs. Kimsey. mother-in-law of the late Vice-President of the United States, died here after illness of several months. Mrs. Marshall brought her here last spring from Scotts Bluff. Ariz., where she had been staying with a son. Morton.

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

MANUFACTURERS JOIN KROGER 1 IN “BEITEI-TIMES' DRIVE! 1 . 1 \ \ '///mmwz // this page and thousands of Kroger and \ M \ , Piggly Wiggly Stores have “teamed up” in a huge co-operative Prosperity Drive, jjj | That means extraordinary values tomorrow in all Kroger Stores. Be there! FRENCH Sale Begins Friday Oct. 14th COUNTRY CLUB GRAND jjk Preserves 2 Lb. Jars 29c I||||||l COUNTRY CLUB WKA wmk Apple Butter 238 or. Jars 29c .COUNTRY CLUB urr tt ' ■ wm ' bread Lb - L ° af4c m m Wmm®, mm country club ' WW Ge l atin Dessert Pkg. 5c The same fine cfuality j|fj|j rnuKTllY ri m at anew low price i§§| 101 >TRi (LIB 4 -* r BUTTER 2v Jb r ■ • Jf? JEWE ITcOFFEE,jf G 22c ' am P&G SEMINOLE *r* White TIQQIIP 1 Naphtha Soap I ■Ww w t I I jj j^g)3sl9' Saturday is “Sweelesl Day” —— • RiNSO to urs , 5... 25c mm sr 19- sS Dinner CANDT BARS *- le mnSSs | O Sm aii 1P Ia Small K ° ,t - ■ buythXg Z Pkß*. I 0° J CANS Vfi® RED SEAL LYE 2 21c IMAYGARDEN hT.. 29c " 15c _I _l Itil . I TEA 10c Gold Medal Hour -rq c,„„ 10-Lb. BAG - 5-Lb. BAG 24 . Lb jf SALAD DRESSING -©■. jr,9c -o. 15c 39c 21 C bag 3 Packages I)esrt . ROYAL GELATIN (Beg. Price H for ist) j I __Hp S I 119 9 VANILLA PUDDING -26. ThmShell Wafers 4 |- c Delicious sandwich confections ... n I GRAPENUT Flakes Pkjr. 10c with chocolate or vanilla filling. - ' Jgi MACKEREL - lie Qld Gold Cigarettes Opkgs. 07 c I men . O OC “Keep Kissable with Old Gofds" M 4 I T LE ? l ; l ' : 5c Lifebuoy s oaP o ij c Tuna Fish-- 2 -25 c The hmuh so. p +j ii Pickles ~ - 15 c “Garden Fresh Fruits and Vegetables—Choicest Quality Meats” SEE OPPOSITE PAGE Pabst-Ett mustard The COMPLETE FOOD MARKETS FRENCH CREAM STYLE 1“ j BJ M More than a cheese ... 90. < |l m.l, pan. R. P lI IIDI* MM tor Oil. Pure Pennsylvania. PICCLY WIGGLY STORES I 8 C 1 f)Q Tax included Price* ££Fective Indianapolis. Greenwood, Plainfield, Zionsville is ¥ %

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