The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-10-05
The Election Laws.
Governor

The law regulating elections to pub
lie offices was a reform measure, but
the need of its thorough reformation,
in turn, has become, after sufficient
period of trial, as imperative as was
the case with the law it superseded.
The sections of the law relating to
the printing of ballots, as the WATCH
MAN sometime ago pointed out, re-
quire amending 30 that town clerks
will have no excuse for persistently
violating the law, as they do now, in
the interest of reasonable economy.
1t is entirely wasteful to require town
that cast 300 votes at the governor
election preceding to provide 1900
votes for justices of the peace when
only 300, in the one ballot that can be
taken, will be cast. A reasonable sur
plus of votes only should be provided.
In the late election the city of Mont
pelier, to illustrate by specific exam
pie, was required by the strict letter of
the law to provide, and did provide,
$500 votes for justices, but if every
legal voter had been present and voting
at freeman's meeting 1900 would have
met every requirement. There were
5000 votes, in blocks of 100, wasted or
left to be consumed as scribbling pads
during the next two years. AS a rule,
however, the town clerks are law
unto themselves in this matter, and
provide only votes enough for one bal
lot, with a small margin for waste.
The provision the law makes for fur
nishing votes for the election of repre-
sentative is only somewhat less unrea-
sonable and extravaganza. Three hun
dred votes for fifty cast at the preceding
election specified, in the great majority
of cases is wasteful minimum. A
lower minimum number, with wider
discretion allowed the town, city or vii
lage clerk in providing additional ballots,
in the event of possible and prolonged
contest, ought to be established for
each polling place at an election of rep
resentative, and the municipal officers
chosen at the March meeting. In view
of the evils the existing law creates
many good citizens express them
selves in favor of repeating the law out
right. This, however, will hardly be
done, but the defects of the law have
become so well understood they should
be susceptible of easy and adequate
remedy. A committee of men prac-
tically familiar with the laws workings,
for good or for evil, could clear the
statute of defects. This ought to be
the task Of the Legislature assembling
to-day.
But the Australian ballot law, in it's
best estate, without some adequate pro-
vision for regulating proceedings in the
caucus and convention, is simply lock-
ing of the stable door after the theft of
the horse. A vitiated caucus or con-
vention, fraud or other wickedness in
nominating candidate, is not cured
by enforced holiness in voting at State
or municipal elections. A bill was in
troduced in the House of Representa-
tives, in the Legislature of 1896, de-
signed to purify diseased politics at the
fountain head, the primaries - the
proper point to initiate reform, every
one will concede. This bill passed the
House but was straightway knocked on
the head by the Senate. The condi-
tons existing in the constitution of the
new State government ought to be
very favorable for taking up and carry
ing to finish thorough-going meas
ure for regulating proceedings at the
primaries. Here is an opportunity for
constructive craftsmanship. Will some
Scion embrace the opportunity, and his
associate Solons send the construction
of wise craftsmanship along to the
chamber of the Chief Executive?
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