Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-12-24
PARTY PLEDGES AND LEGIsLATION


as usually characterizcs a modern po-
litical campaign Is the subject OF ami
mated discussion at the present time
In our state, and curiously enough
the same topic is engaging national
attention in connection with the re-
vision of the tariff by Congress. The
residents OF this state are directly In
tcrested just now in the party prom
ises made by the Vermont republicans
The broad ground is being taken by
| some of our contemporaries that few
people formulate a declaration OF prin-
ciples. and that, therefore. the party
IS not bound by platform pledges. The
Bellows Falls Times. for example. dis
cusscs this phase of tho problem as
follows
| The legislature il being scored by
! tho partisan press OF the state for not
! in ever instance cnacting into lePisla-
! ton tho suggestions, az pledges made
in tho platform Of tho Republican party
of Vermont. II is argued that the
Legislature, being largely republican. "a
under obligations 20 enact all the legis-
lation that the republican platform ia
vorcd. because the Legislature Killed
the trustee bill, Il is being hammered
numerically by such stanG-pat repuh
ilican organs as tho Rutland Herald
| which, Judging from its recent utter
ances, will never again suEcest even
in whisper anything that could 10
construed az treason 10 republican
platform.
Tho Times cannot gully asree with
it's zcoloue advocates of the subordina -
ton of q legislature 70 e party plat
form. A party represents only por-
ton ot the people Of the state. ieEis-
letur" represents all tho people. Bnt
'hc real situation is even worse than
this, The party platform here In Yer
mont often represents the opinion %
only the half dozen or go who are in
stTumontnl IN drafting tho platform,
ana even with the half dozen It is
often a political and not a Legislative
opirion. a question Of what will pu,
n few moro votes for tho ticket and not
OF what is for the best int,res. Of the
whole state.
Tho modern party platform is lncul-
ca.cd somethinC after this fashion.
The party state COMMITTEES. or tho
chairman thereof, writes tho Hon. So
ard-So. who is prominent party leader
10 draft Il platform. The Hon. So-and-
SO gets busy. Incorporates his own
ideas and possibly Those Of few 9TH
ors. The state committee or . portion
thereof reads over the draft adds q
little or subtracts n little and the plat
form is read to the state convention
paragraph - paragraph. but In its
entirety. The delegates are thinking
about adjournment IN time 70 get tc
dinner or Itch train and not one II
so knows what is in The platform un-
til he reads The newt mornings papers
To argue thar a Platform adopted un-
Legislature is absurd. We agree thai
th- recommendations 81 party plat
form should be thoroughly considcrc4
by the member, OF the party IN :
legislature bur to expect n legislature
which hns tim. to think ana consider
ana feel the public pulse. to he mount
men who arrange a party platform
expecting too much. \ legislator,
which exercises reasonable indepcnd
ence is to be commended rather thar
condemned.
Even X the party platform were q
be entirely written by ono man, as /
sometimes said TO have been done II
u national campaigns. and as is certain
~ the case occasionally in Vermont
though usually the writer of plat
FORM consults with others. and tries I
reflect the sentiment OF his party, tn
II fact that It is adopted by a politica
party's chosen representatives in con
vention assembled and is used throug
" a campaign without protest gives
) all the authority OF n party utteranc
so far as the party is concerned. JIur
= ~ during the closing moments OF
! convention does not nbsolvc part
from all responsibility for a list Of pol
icies on which such party stand
IS through prolonged campaign
= As regards the man who accepts
II nomination for ono. as member {
ID that party and, knowing what IN
e platform IL allows his constituents |
p elect him to once In the Legislatur
or elsewhere without giving them eve
lc hint that he IS NOT in sympathy Wit
N the platform uttcrancrs thNc can NJ
> be tho slightest excuse for rAfufing
is carry out the pledge involved in Il
IF pnrty's declaration OF principles. IT,
ID people have a right to expect that
y candidate who rejects his party pia
20 form Will notify hem In advance
p his election. ard II ne ncglects 10 4
to the principles embraced in his party
tn platform
ss We would not be understood as tai
ing tho position that a platform Piled.
III to accomplish a certain reform. 2
70 example, does not mean that a m'
he must support every feature OF b