Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-09-18
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY.
Every Reason to Expect Law Provid-
ing for Caucus Reform.
(Erorn tho Roppip oton RnnoerN

rh. x,a.So., ,...s a. ,fontno,,er
.rure ,oth h,, tba ron,inIic,r state conven'
IT, 49,, ~ ~ ,pio,,,i',.
Rosol,od Thnt this "ane,e,+iop recom-
,,,nJs 80. ~ -, .r,.,a,,,ra eroct a
~, NC. .ne ,',,,sas all
ed for ,hn nnrno p ~ n,,t,ine in nomination
candidate. fnr tho yarious town citv.
covnty go S.,,a moe ,rd 10 nrovide
s,,ch r,,,es ana ro,1iatiors ne shall safe
ou,rd ~ ,,,,ri.,. 20 ,,a,,inotion ae vol, an
eloctton "a aiso -, rr,,',do ADEQUATE MIN
;ehr,ont snr ,hq.a ,,io,otirg tbo came
In no rIa,farn, 90 tho Iicorse Local
Ontion nartv whicb mot IN Rurlinrton
JuIv 1sth iris clause aprears.
w. 1,.na 81. a. -. ra,is,,tur.
er.ct a lou, rog,,i,,,nc nrinaries mr. cay
cusos ca,Iod co., thn ,,7rnosc of nuttinp in
non,;rotion cardid,to. for tho various
,nyrn ct,,, co,,nt, nd s,ote of,cos and IA
,,,is s',.,, - .a ,,,,,otinrs nc shah
safosu,rd ,bo n,,ritv Of nomination az
vii &c eIectior orS also 70 nrovide ade-
ouat, n,,risbnert fo- tbose violating the
same
So .o,, ror,,o, ,ou for c,ucus ,aw
- no,,id sao,, aseured ,lat such a inv will
,e nI5cod mo-, our etatute hooks nv the
noxt Tor;sia,,,ro
This iaw howsver will no the child Of
tho Rennhucar nortv aipce that nartv
has n clear worlsing majority in both
bousea ~ Tho Ioyislature
A lou ioenizi,, ga controlling tho nri
maries viii nnerete 70 the advantage of
tho whole State and will, greatly strength
on the Repnblican marty.
Caucuses NJ nresent arc without legal
control Our laws do NO, nroscr,be any
method of holding nr;,narias. the manner
OF making nominations being left entirely
with the several barties In New York
this svstc,n nresented On manv opnortuni-
ties for corri,ntion ana was So fun of i'm
ING under nressure from Governor BLACK
enacted a urinary law which controls a
caucus from the very beginning and
"safeguards the purity Of nominations as
well as elections y
In Vermont there Is even more need Of
a stringent caucus law The nominee of
the republican state convention. has for
more than jfty wears. become the success
full candidate. since nomination at re-
publican convention Is thus equivalent to
election. the purity of the caucus should at
least he as ardentlv sought as the cleanli-
ness Of the election is we'll guarded
The exclusion OF democrats from repub-
lican caucuses the outgrowth of Clements
pre-convention campaign is another pro-
blem which will be solved by the caucus
law. II is safe to saw that had Clements
delegates 70 the republican state conven-
tion renresented rnnuhlicans alone they
would have numbered less than two hun
dred
II is annareut that ~ will no die1cu1t 70
frame a satisfactory law which must
saferllard the putting in nomination candi-
dates for the various town CITY county
and State Offices
rho law ebould r.drca tho eizo of our
State conventions which are much larger
than the state conventions of either marty
in Now york II should alec dictate Tho
manner and lime for holding tho caucuses
The Australian bellotinr system will
doubtless commend itself as tho best
method for voting at the caucus as we'll
as at the election. A method Of filing iudc-
pendent nominations should also he nro-
vjded. The Legislature in enactinr the
law will probably REQUIRE the enrolment
of the voters ~ a party. who are entitled
to participate in the primaries Of that
partv. This enrolment will he the check
list of the caucus The duty of making IN
this list will fall UNION the town commit
tee. who will control this enrollnrut for
the caucus as the board of civil authority
controls the making nm of the checklist
for the election. If such n law is enacted
and is vigorously enforced il will excIudn
from the renuhlican and democratic eau
cuses those of the Local Option marty who
voted for p. w Clement and the other in
dependent candidates.
But to avoid the pornetuation Of tho I,o-
cal Option party. the town committee
should hc r,er1nitted IN eyerciea discratiop
those voters. who having temporarily ward
cred away from the fold, are DESTROYS Of
cal Ontion marty would 90 tho ua1, of tho
Tho social dor,ocr,c, rba .tro,oo ,oas
wo,,Id euddnni,. Frd tborosal,.os 49,,
worshinners
Tho c,,corast common, ,,o L,,.o ,ao,, -.
pYuars outside of Vernor, cor,os fror,