The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-05-20
ADVANTAGES OF
DIRECT PRIMARY
What i Has Accomplished In
Other States.
ENSURES POLITICAL FREEDOM
Answers by Judge Y. w. Gibson to OBJ.
jeetions Which Have Been Urged
Against Its Adoption in This State
Boon 10 Little Towns.

Against Tvs Adoption IN Thin sta'
Boon 10 Little Towns.
In previous articles attention has hes
called 10 the nomination OF public Office
by direct vote. aud to some objections
the present caucus aud convention ~
tenn. II Is the purpose Of this article /
consider the advantages Of nominations L
direct vote. and ia the same eonneciio
TO answer objections which have bee
urged against IL adoption in this state.
| % 4 primary election law would be-
ter the public service. People are not
naturally somewhat indifferent 10 polii
cal conditions. Interest in public matter
would be greatly increased Il the peopl
had faith that their votes would coun
in the solution of political problems. an
in the selection Of officials.
90 II would destroy machine polite.
The caucus and convention are insiru
ments used by political manipulators 4
the end Of continuing few suprcm
in naming candidates. Until the adoption
Of the primary method. the political ma
chimes OF the various states. almost Who'll
~ controlled the nomination Of candi
dates, and often forced nominations Il
direct opposition TO the win Of the people
DO we have a machine in Vermont Tn
answer depends upon the definition o
machine" and the view of the voter Al
TO present political conditions.
~ II would greatly improve the char
acter OF nominations. 4 man with ne
convictions cannot win the great body o
voters. II is easier TO control the few
than the many. Only such men would b.
nominated for public Office as represent
wholesome principles in which the peopl.
as whole are interested. IL has served
in every jurisdiction where adopted, Ia
bring TO the field of politics the best eiti
zens. thereby resulting in general public
good in that the best men have sought
office.
az With the expenditures for cam
paign purposes limited. il would com
pletely eliminate the securing OF nomina.
ey. II would result in the selection OF
men qualified by reason OF ability. not by
reason OF wealth. II should ever be the
highest ideal in dealing with the public
service to bring TO il the best available
talent.
(5) 1t would free the official from the
influence OF the corporation and the ma
chine. An official owing his nomination
to the people will feel under obligation to
serve no one but the people who have
selected him. Men are too often selected
for office by means of control OF the eau
Gus and convention because they can be
depended upon to do the right thing at
the right time for the interests RESPONSE
BILE for their election. ..
(6) The proposed system is PLAN, sim
pie and practical. II is in accord with the
shirt of our institutions. The object OF
general election is to ascertain the voice
of a majority of the people as to who
shall serve for their public officers. II 1t
is right to ascertain the will of the people
as to who shall be elected, it is equally
right that we should ascertain the Will
of the people as to who shall be noml-
mated Nominations in this state mean
an election. hence it is more importan.
that the will of the people be taken at
the time the candidates, sure OF election,
are selected, than at election which Is
simply a ratification of what has been
done for the people by the patriotic poll
ticians at the caucus and convention. 1t
is a simple system because it simplliies the
machinery of nomination by abollshing
the caucus and delegate convention, and
the holding Of over 700 caucuses IN the
various towns of the state, and OF 4o
in the state and the various
and of installing in the place
of this complex, cumbersome, and anti
quated system, vote when VIII cor
rectly register the choice OF the voters
by one vote.
N 1t would result in a larger partic-
nation of the voters than the party eau.
Gus has succeeded in enlisting. Several
of the papers of the state have expressed
doubts if it would increase interest IN
the nomination of candidates Tor once
II the experience of other states counts
for anything, then a primary law IN TINS
state would result in very great increase
n the number who take part in the NOM
nation of candidates for office. AT the
present time, taking the state as whole,
ess than 10 per cent OF the voters act
lallv name our public officials, because
ess than 10 per cent of the republican
,oters throughout the state attend the
,ancuses. These caucuses send delegates
n select candidates who are eventually
.lected. Can any system be success
which permits the naming OF the ofiicials
f state by such small per cent OF the
,oters of one party!
Let lis consider the experience OF other
tates. In Missouri at the last general
Urinary election for the selection of the |
andidate 100000 votes were cast, or 50 |
er cent of the vote at the general cleo
ion. Tn Wisconsin the republican candl-
Ate for governor secured 1885 votes.
vote of l7O,8l4 was cast at the primary,
r OIL per cent of the vote cast at the
eneral election. In Kansas the republl-
an vote for president in 1908 was 49,
l6. the republican vote for governor IN
he Kansas primaries was l24,o37 or rs
er cent of the republican vote Tor pres
lent. In Oregon about four times
: MANY votes are cast under the
rimarv as were previously cast under
ne caucus. In New Jersey from five to
} per cent of the voters attended the
,ucuses. while from go to 100 per cent
the voters attend the primaries. In
Minnesota the vote in the republican prl-
aries throughout the state has often
,nroached so per cent of the republican
,te in the elections which followed, and
the city of Minneapolis it has reached
per cent; in the city of st. Paul 4.6
ar cent of the election vote. In Craw-
nd county, Pennsylvania, record has I
zen kept for the 81 years last past, OF {
70 number of votes cast at the primary t
ection. and it has averaged 70 per cent.
is the uniform result that a primary i
ection law results in the casting OF many '
mes over of the vote which was cast t
der the old caucus and convention sys- t
, m Can anyone question but that the |
me result will follow in this state, if /
: adopt the direct nomination idea? t
(s) Direct primaries mean the full car
IN; inc ont of the scheme of representative C
vernmept. The caucus is unrepresenta- a
ye: the convention travesty on popu-
|. government. The primary election law
;ers the people the opportunity of act $
llv selecting the governor and other t
tie officers by their direct vote. Under g
. present system we elect delegates to o
ect our governor. Usually these dele Y