GOOD CITIZENS
LOATH TO SERVE
NOT A SINGLE VOLUNTEER FOR
ELECTION DUTY.
ONE MAN RECOM-
MENDS 28
BUT FAILED TO INCLUDE HIM-
SELF IN THE LIST.
Appeal of Election Board for Judges
and Clerks Practically Without
Result -- Still the Good
Citizen Complains.
In the election commissioners' office they have not a very high opinion about civic pride. After appealing publicly and by private letter to what Alderman James Pendergast calls the "high class business man" to volunteer for election service, needing 1,000 judges and clerks and sending out about 3,000 letters of invitation, the board has got less than 200 names.
And the names submitted are not those of 200 volunteers. Some of them recall Artemus Ward's patriotic declaration that in the interest of the welfare of the republic during the civil war he was willing to sacrifice the last of his wife's relations. Most of those people who have written to the election commissioners have suggested neighbors and acquaintances, but not one offered to serve himself. One widely known man, a rich, landed proprietor, bravely rose to the occasion by responding to the invitation by the commissioners, but while he proposed twenty-eight names he omitted his own. He signed the letter, though, as an indorsement of his list. In the list were the names of Colonel John Conover, who served his time as a patriotic citizen years and years ago, and with Colonel Conover the names of Jay H. Neff, Francis B. Nofsinger, C. D. Parker, Charles J. Schmelzer and John F. Richards were given.
"It beats the world how people will growl about the quality of the election officials and yet refuse to supply them," said Chairman J. M. Lowe. "We are glad to have this list, but we would have been more glad to have had the sender of it volunteer himself. Only one firm has sent in the list of its employes fitted to serve during election. Few are willing to be interested, and those few are not willing to volunteer. They want to make the other fellows volunteer.
The appointments must all be made by September 3. This year there is to be a brand new registration, books to be open October 6, 10 and 18, for that purpose. In order to keep down fraud the commissioners have been trying to get "high class business men" to help conduct the registration and election, but not with a flattering prospect.
