Politics and political questions have never been discussed in our Household, but we are never barred from advocating good, interested citizenship. In Illinois the important primaries come during April and our thinking women are doing their best to post themselves on the candidates to be elected and the issues to be decided.
"We, the people," constitute the government; and it is appalling to think that at the last presidential election only half of the eligible voters bothered to go to the polls. Since a majority of votes cast is sufficient to elect, it is possible for the president himself to be the choice of a little more than one-fourth of the voters. Unless we do our full duty as citizens at the polls, we have no right to complain of government in any way.
It is hard to come to a fair and just decision on any matter to be voted upon. We have to depend upon hearsay or upon some one else's judgment for many of our decisions, and both sources may be unreliable or prejudiced. Many times, no doubt, our decisions would be reversed if we could know all the facts. But imperfect though it be, our judgment is surely as good, and our vote worth as much, as the vote of the hired henchman who does the boss' bidding at the polls. Our votes are needed to balance such evil influences.
The Canvasser Helps
The other day a man canvassed our neighborhood asking every one to vote on several important political questions. On one of them I said: "I don't whether to say yes or no to this." "Everybody's votin' no to that one, lady," said the canvassar, cheerfully. "But the test is worded so whether I say yes or no may be misinterpreted." "Oh, it won't matter, lady; either one will do!" was his reply. He seemed surprised I took the matter so seriously. Finally he apparently thought of an argument which he had heard used by someone else, "Who do you think is gettin' up this bill, anyway--the rich folks or the poor folks?" I said, "Neither, I think it is the women. And their ideals and their motives are right. The only question, is whether the details are practical and fair, as they mean to have them be." He looked hopeless, but rather than try to argue with such an unreasonable creature, he rejoined: "I don't know nothing about It, lady. Smarter men than me got up these questions!" "Smarter men than me" get up most of the questions on which we have to vote. But I propose to do my own thinking as well as I am able and vote according to my conscience and not according to how the rest of the people are voting-don't you? —Hope.