Bennington banner and reformer. (Bennington, Vt.) 1903-19??, 1903-02-26

ton town meeting next tuesday Is IN
several respects peculiar and voters
especially Independent voters-run the,
risk of spelling their ballots, owing to
the unusual arrangement Of names to
be voted on.
In the first place the party designa-
tions at the top of the ballot are mis-
leading. The column designated re-
publican is not unanimously republic
can; the column headed democratic
contains the names of more republic
cans than democrats, while the ticket
headed local option is no more en-
titled to that designation than either
of the others, and the fourth column
headed Regular Local Option"
(which means nothing in particular
when applied to this election) is just
the same as the two preceding columns
except that it contains the names of C.
A. Maurer for grand juror aud Fred
Tiff for constable in places which are
left vacant through withdrawal on the
other two.
The danger of spelling ballots
confined to those who split their tickets.
If voter wishes to vote the straight
ticket in the republican column all he
has to do is to mark a cross in the
square at the top. To vote the straight
ticket called democratic cross the
square at the top of that column. The
voter, however, who marks cross in
the square at the head of the ticket
labelled democratic will not vote for
any candidate for constable and col
lector as the candidate named for the
ticket has withdrawn his name. There
fore the voter who has voted in the
square at the head of the democratic
column is entitled also, if he desires,
to turn TO the last column on the
ticket at the right and put a cross in
the square against the name of Mr.
Tiff or he can vote for Mr. Godfrey in
the first column on the ticket
In voting split tickets the chief thing
to remember is to let alone the squares
at the heads of the columns and do not
vote for any more candidates than
there are places to he filed. For in
stance If the voter wishes to vote the
republican ticket with the exception OF
Remington for selectman, he should
select the two republican names that
he wishes to vote for and put cross
in the little square to the right of their
names. Then turn to the second or
democratic column and put a cross to
the right of Remington's name, then
return to the republican column and
cross against the remaining names
there.
Several voters have stated to the
writer that they intend to vote the dem
ocratic ticket with the exception OF
Richie and Worthington for select
men and Collins Graves for lister. To
split ticket thus the best way viii be
to pick out the three names Richie,
Worthington and Graves in the re-
publican column and put a cross OPP
pOsite their names. Then pass over
to the democratic column and cross
the names on that ticket with the ex-
ception of two OF the candidates for Sc
lectmen aud one OF the candidates for
lister which must not be marked or the
ballot will be spoiled.
Paradoxical as it may seem, one way
to vote the democratic ticket is not to
vote the one marked democratic, but
to vote that headed Regular Local OPP
ton, as that contains all the demo-
cratic names and the additional names
of Maurer and Tiff.
The ticket headed License Local OPP
ton is merely a trick to catch votes
aud should be ignored entirely, as it
contains no names not on the other
tickets and is calculated to confuse
the mind of the inexperienced or care
less voter. The ticket headed "License
Local Option however, should not
be confounded with that headed Reg
ular Local Option" which contains the
names of Maurer and Tiff.