The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-10-28
COrrupting Caucuses and Con-
yentiOns.

House bill No. l, introduced by Rep.
resentative Palmer of Waterbury, is
first in Importance as well as in the Or
der of presentation.
The fountain-head o. political action
is the caucus. Its waters flow into iho
convention-national, state, district or
county-or give organized movement to
town, village or city meetings in the
choice of officers. So powerful and
dominate ia the sentiment for "regu-
larity" in government by political par
ties that a nomination to office, once
obtained in convention or caucus, is
very likely to be accepted at the polls
by the voters of the party making the
nomination. If wrong has been prac-
ticed at the meetings of the primaries,
that wrong will faint the convention,
and the faint may corrupt its selection
of candidates. The faint will extend
to the polls, and a candidate for office
whose nomination has been obtained
by unfair or corrupt practices in eau
Gus, or convention, or both, who does
not represent majority-or plurality,
even,-of the voters of his party, be.
comes their candidate at the polls. The
only remedy for the affronted voter is
to "bolt," but 80 despotic is the tyranny
of party governmental tyranny usu-
ally practced by the least worthy or
least scrupulous element in party
that, unless the crime against the suf-
frage, in lis initial proceedings is I'M
usually aggravated or heinous, not
many voters will have the courage or
hardihood to exercise "the divine right
of boiling" In great emergencies, in
volving the welfare of the nation, or
involving the choice of two evils, many
good and conscientious voters may see
their duty in an adherence to party
nominations they do not approve, or
who condemn the methods employed to
procure nomination.
In respect of these matters, the Aus
tralian ballot system sedulously locks
the doors after the horse has been
stolen. BY that law, the exercise of
the suffrage, in its last act, is jealousy
guarded-as sacredly for the candidate
of unrighteous, as for him of righteous,
origin. The Australian ballot law is a
sluiceway conducting 10 the polls,
through straight and well-guarded chan
nels, the political waters that descend
from the caucus and convention. If
the waters are corrupted at the fount-
ain-head, this system of voting may
shield "kicker" who may refuse to
drink from the befouled current, but it
does not purify the waters. 1t may
purify the ballot, but not the nomina
tions. The law does not reach the seat
of the corruption.
Mr.. Palmer's bill is designed to sup
plement the new ballot law, to begin
and complete the reform of which that
law is the logical and rational end. His
measure proposes to punish by heavy
fines any person who attempts by
bribery, threats, or by promise of any
gift or reward, or by any undue influ.
ence, to dictate, control or alter the
vote" of any delegate in convention,
or of any freeman in any caucus, in the
election of candidates in or delegates
to state, congressional or county con
venton, in an election of candidates
for state, congressional or county office
Similar Offences in the election of towr
representative are similarly punished
and the punishment is extended to hin
who aids or abets person who is not {
legal voter, or who is not member Of
the political party calling the caucus
who votes or attempts to vote in sucl
caucus. The bill also provides fine
for other offences that may pervert thu
action of caucus.
This bill may not be perfect. II it il
not, it should be perfected, with refer
ence to its efficiency-not that kind o
perfecting that emascuates, and N
squeamishness on any score should &C
liob 70 1afo