The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-09
FRANK Z. HOVE, EditSr and Publisher
AGAINST the Legislature

80 = s'~+~~
We apprehend that the public is
getting tired of the long drawn out
discussion OF the sins, real and imagi-
nary Of the recent session of the leg,
islature-real in the fact that the leg
islature did not do all that was hoped
of il and imaginary in the statement
made and believed by some that the
legislature failed to try honestly and
sincerely to solve the problems that
came before it, AT the risk, however,
Of wearying some we will say a few
words on the questions raised by John
w. Kellette whose letter to the Rut-
land Herald is reprinted in another
column
Mr.. Kellette inquiries who gave the
majority of the members the authori-
ty to disregard the wishes of the PEG
pies platform upon which he and
others in the party stood when they
sought nomination and which they
bolted when they were elected?" 1t
may be unfortunate, but it is probab-
ly true that not one in four of the
representatives was nominated on a
party platform of any kind. In many
towns from two to six candidates for
town representative were filed on
nomination papers and the man chos-
en- owed his election to his standing
at home and to purely local issues.
Probably half the members of the
House were elected in just this way.
Can it be fairly said that these mem
bers were bound by any party plat
form? For instance A. n. Sherman,
Democrat. was the member from
Newfane, town that is fully six to
one Republican Was Mr. Sherman
in any way bound to try TO carry out
the wishes of the Democratic organi
cation because his Republican neigh
bors for local and personal reasons
sent him to Montpelier?
In the larger towns candidates were
nominated and elected on rather
loosely drawn party lines, but these
members as far as we remember were
the ones who tried to carry out party
platform declarations but were voted
down by those who were elected in
purely local campaigns and unpledged
by caucus.
What the Banner meant by its
reference to party whip was not
what Mr. Kellette takes it to be. In
states where parties are evenly divid
ed the members of the party in ma
jority in the legislature hold a party
caucus on certain measures and if q
majority of the caucus so orders the
bills are forced through as party
measures, those of the party not il
favor being practically forced to VOTE
with their colleagues or lose part!
standing. Such plan was talked o
at Montpelier during the recent SEES
sion but many members, especial.
the class referred to above who wer
elected without a party nomination
frankly declared that they would no
be bound by party caucus win MI
Kellette explain how he would Ell
force party support of party measure
under these circumstances?
Mr. Kellette unconsciously answer
his own questions in his reference t
the member from Plainfield. MI
Martin from that town did exactl
what he thought his constituent
wanted him TO do, and that in tn
main is what the average member {
the Vermont House of Represent;
tives does on big and important quel
tons That was what defeated tn
proposed tax reform and the truste
process bill and other measures.
is the town idea always prominen
in the Vermont Legislature, and al
other variation of the lack of centrg
. responsibility that was shown in tn
refusal to take party platforms ser
ously.
AS TO that bill to increase the pa
of members, the editor of the Banne
voted against 1t and does not thin
that he should be the one to defend 4
We do feel though that there wa
some right. on that side. Most of tn
members of the General Assembl
were honest men who did their leve
best as they saw it. They remaine
at Montpelier nearly four months an
found by actual knowledge that tn
pay they we're getting would not NEE
their expenses. Rightly or wrongly
majority of them convinced then
selves that it was right for them T.
make the state pay them "a per da
and they had the nerve to stand II
and go on record, as they were con
PEELED to do in support of their cor
victions. And they did It too with
full knowledge of the storm of hosti
criticism that would be raised.
Inasmuch as the member from Ben
nington introduced a primary bill ca
culated to do away with party cor
ventions and put the rank and file o
the voters in complete control, w
have no serious quarrel with what MI
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