The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-05-14
Petition For Use Of Caucus
Check Lists Filed Today
AFFECTS ALL PARTIES
Attorney General Fits Says That Those
Who Have Not Signed Party Slips
Can Do So Today and
Tomorrow.

~ tHtit Adr filtu III tilr ritN lASi = 2
Office at II O'Clock today petition,
signed by five per cent tand q few
over) of THE total vote cast in Barre
for governor ID 1904, for the use of
check iists Iii the various caneuses Of
sthe present year. This means that only
those Who have flied ont and signed
the party affiIiation slip in their Tux
Inventories will be permitted 70 partiti-
pate IN the various party cauc,ises to
elect delegates 70 state, county and dis
trict eonxentionsand 10 nominate city
representatives.
According to the Interpretation "a the
new caucils law BY Attorney General
Fits. those who have failed to sign the
affiliations sIip can do so to-day and
tomorrow bv asking the assessors for
their inventories. No one whose name
is not on the afiiliation slips will be
eligible 20 vote in the caucu-cs. So
those Who desire to vote and have not
siQntd tiic slips have today and tomor-
row 10 dn Ii.
Thf intricacies of the new caucns Law
which went into effect IN Vermont this
year have caused much confusion, and
particularly SO IN Barre. when the in-
tention 10 file a petition for the use
OF d check Iist becanp known. The
paucity Of the number OF voters eligible
90 participate in the Barre caucliseS
through failure to make written state
nent of party aflliation when the IN
ventnrieS wele filled out, lead tU several
questions. chief of which was whether
tke party slips could lie signed after
the inventories had been handed to the
assessors. Attorney General Fits WAS
appealed 10 and he declares that voters
have right to demand their inventories
back again and to sign the party sljq,
up 10 and including May Is.
Three other questions were answered
by Attorney General Fits ia letter
10 Secretary "a State Fleetwood (11
That tho board efscivil authority eanuot
insert In the check list the name of
amy voter who has not filed his party
intention. (al All political parties must
use cheek list when five per cent OF
the voters petition for il, regardless Of
the political affilistion OF the signers
of the petition {3) Unless the check
list j. petitioned for the cauct=e~ are
law unto themselves and can decide
concerning their own conduct.
The letter Of Attorney General Fits
is as follows:
"you ask my opinion upon several
questions relative TO the caucus law,
act No. ? Of the acts of 1904. and. !
will undertake to answer them the best
can. in order.
Caucuses Law Unto Themselves.
'.if there i 40 written request aled,
as specified in See. Of the act. can
voter who has not filed his certificate
OF intention. as required by See. ) OF
tho act, vote iii any caucus to elect del
essnfes 20 conventions so nominate state
aud county silicefs. representative in
Congress. and in caucus to Dominate
town Representatives.
eSses Z Of The act provides, among
other things, that "a person who fails
10 return Il certificate shall not te eli
gihlc 80 vote III any caucus mentioned
IN sec. j See. ~ treferTing Go The
caucus cheek list, which Is made up n
/
eSuch list shall. when completed. BE-
the caucus check list for the year in
which Il is prepared. and no person
whose nalne does not appear thereon
shall be allowed to vote in any eau
cur mentioned in See. p.
"Sec. / Z provides that no person shal
vote or attempt to vote IN any eaucu:
mentioned IN See. 3, other than the
caucus Of the party upon whose check
list his name appears, and See. - i'm
poses penalty for violation OF the pro
visions Of See n. There is ne pro
vision IN the act for the preparation
Of A check list unless request therefor
( In writing. signed by y sufficient mum
I Der of qualified persons, Is filed on ol
before May 18th, so unless such writer
request ii iled there can be no checl
1 list upon which the name of any vote,
appears, therefore, there cannot strictly
be any violation OF SEE. II. and, d
course, no penalty under See. 10.
Whether the action Of such caucus
4 If controlled by The vote Of persons
4 who have not iiled certificates, would b
Z legal. il more difficult question L
il tho duty oil toe several clerks will
\ whom the certificates of nomination ars
to Do flied. % accept and iiic certificate'
which aFe In apparent conformity will
the law, unless objection Is made, a.
| provided in Sec. 0a. Ne s. I'm case o
aleh objection, hearing is 20 be bad
4 first with the filing officer. and then /,
he REVISED If application II made by !
\ Judge OF court Of competcif jurisdiction
\ II II not clear how the officers of an,
saucnS are To determine whether vote
has flied 4 certificate Of Intention M
c-s . check list Is used aS the ne
4 provides.
1T j. Wy opinion that the intent q
Che law i that unless the maebineF,
for the operation 81 the law is set il
motion bg filing written requests fo
the use Of check list. on on befpr
May 18Th, the eauciIses are a law nut
thcmsclvcA IN the matter Of the qunIi
iicaaian 81 yoiers therciR, ~ furuierlg
vctefe Must Sign Party slip.
4 ~ Il written request ipr the a.
81 ooMcus elleel li-t n fled on of nsfs,f'
Nny 4 liril eae che beard ogelsil autllof
.rity irlkreei4iag the check list een4lde
any her nansS tlian those Of soief
edntihued on Fourth pags.