Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-08-08
sQUEALING AND GRUNTING,
Over the Filing OF Local Option Nomination
Papers How 1t Was Done and Why 1t Is
Right-And Does Just What Local Republic
can Leaders Demanded Change in the Law
To Do Threatening to Filibuster Simply
BecauseI 1t Is Right and Not Wrong.


Because 1t Is Right and Not Wrong.
AS by statute provided petition
signed by some GO voters was filed Sat
, urday for the printing on the official
ballot of the full Democratic county
ticket in the column under the Glenn
ent state ticket under the head, Iii
cense Local Option ticket The num-
Der of names required by law, and
more too. were gathered at Bellows
Falls and here in three or four hours
canvassing and it is said that not a
single man who was asked to sign it
failed to do so promptly and cheerfully
The news of the filing created some
thing of sensation in local political
circles and increased the enthusiastic
confidence of the Democrats and Local
Optionists that they have the winning
ticket this year.
The best evidence to that effect is
the squirming and squealing among
the Republican leaders and their hot
denunciations of the movement as a
"trickH and fraud. - and threats
and plans to 90 to the courts to pre-
vent its official printing-denuncia-
tons and idle threats with which
they evidently intend to make the
county resound, unless they see, as
they come to get their mental balance
again. the utter absurdity of going
before an intelligent people with such
cry.
/ moments reflection upon the pur-
pose of the law and the practical oper-
alton of this ticket is sufficient to
show it. Originally the law, as intro
duced by the late Mr.. Marshall, re-
qulred the names of all candidates to
be printed in one column next to one
another, as Mccullough, McGettrick.
Clement, and the voter had to make
his cross against the name of every man
he wanted to vote for 1t was the Re
publican leaders of this very county
that took the lead in getting the law
changed to its present shape. where the
ticket of each party is printed in a col
umn by itself, and to prevent caucus
being king. provision is made for the
filing of other tickets by petition, as
has been done in this case The ar
gument of these Republican leaders
was-and they were right about it
that it was unfair and needless TO re-
quire every voter to do so much mark
ing, that it involved too much liabil
ity of error and defeat of intent among
men not used to pencil work, that
each voter ought TO have the right to
vote full ticket by a single mark if
he wanted TO, and that allowing him
to do so would not by one particle re
strict the right or increase the trouble .
of the citizen who wanted to vote di-
vided ticket and would have to select
his name, one by one. just as he did .
under the old law. Now having got
the ballot in Just the shape they de
comes this grunting from
these very leaders.
The operation j. Just what they ar
gued it should be. Among local op-
whose rights alone are really
involved are Just two classes. Il those
who would like to vote for Clement
and also for a county ticket that lust
as explicitly represents their ideas and
y those who while voting for the
Clement state ticket would like to vote
the Republican county ticket in whole
Or in part The former will be enabled
to do lust what the law intended thew
IAN vote the whole by mark for each
they will not he required after marking
the Clement state ticket to 90 over in-o
the Democratic column to mark coun-
-y ticket. The second class are left Just
where they were before; after marking
heir state ticket they will have TO 20
over into the Republican column
or the rest and would have to do
ust the same if nothing was printed
below the Clement ticket. Those who
would like to vote a part of one and a
art of another will have their labors
increased or decreased by not single
troke or dot.
Some of the grunters complain be
ause it is the whole Democratic ticket
instead of particular parts that is thus
But reasonable men will see
It once that it would have been entire
V impracticable to make the endorse
nent any other way. If every division
f opinion were to he represented by
itferent ticket very likely no sheet of
aper made would be large enough to
ontain them all Any citizen who
fishes to vote against any part of it,
ill be able to do so without a particle
f additional trouble
Moreover it is only consistent that
he ticket should 90 on as a whole un-
er that title for every man on it. ex-
ept Judge of Probate, would have more
r less TO do with the enforcement of
rohibition or of a local option law if
e have one: the question is properly
} be considered with regard to every
ne whether he will work to make the
NV reality or TO nile mn fees and
le more of the ticket that is voted the