Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-02-17
PARTY PLATFORMS.


promises OF party should be as sacred as
the promise OF a person. The first BUSH
ness Of party convention alter orRaniza-
ton should be the reading Of the report
Of the committee on resolutions before
nominations 10 Office are made. The
standard should prscede the standard
bearer. The usual methods postpones the
reading Of such report until the other
business Of the convention is completed.
Consequently such reading meets with
scant attention and little interest. The
adoption OF the report is periunctory, in
he nature Of benedietion instead Of the
uttetanee Of matured conviction.
DIRECT NOMINATIONS.
TIE people should directly select candi.
dates hom they directly elect. The eau
Gus and delegate conventions are largely
discrediied IS representatives Of the popu-
lar will. Direct nominations make can
didaries spring from the people In a
state like Vermont, the nomination is
generally equivalent to an election.
Hence, popular interest should be fully
centcred on the first choice Of candidates
through direct primaries and this choice
should not be left to the mercenary manip-
ulation Of q caucus or the interested
combinations Of ''the night before" the
convention.
CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT.
A corrupt practices act should he
passed BY the Legislature. Such act
should limit the amount which eandi-
dates for office may expend in obtaining
both nomination and election; should de-
ine the purposes Of all expenditures
should compel all candidates to file in the
office Of the Secretary OF State an itemized
statement under oath Of the amount and
nature Of all expenses; should provide
that i any false statement is made in
such affidavit that the person making the
same shall be punished a. in a case OF
perjury.
DISTRICT COURTS.
Believing that the pressure Of expense
10 judicial proceedings comes largely in
the initial stages OF litigation. | would
favor the establishment OF district courts
With hnal jurisdiction in civil cases Of At
least two hundred dollars and appellate
Jurisdiction Of at least $500. The
nucleus Of such a system is found In the
municipal courts. This system would
tend to reliese' the congestion of small
cases in the superior court, would hasten
trial and decrease the cost of obtaining
justice.
HIGHWAYS.
Good roads decrease the expense of the
farmer 10 hauling the products OF his
farm, attract travel and increase values.
A trunk line system OF highways, state
controlled and maintained, would tend ID
further develop the State and would i'm.
prove the crossroads connecting with
such main lines and such a system should
be established.
SCHOOLS
Greater emphasis should be placed on
the mastery Of the Fundamental elements
IN education, reading, writing. spelling
and arithmetic and increased attention
paid TO the teaching Of agriculture in
schools and Industrial, manual and COM
mercial training.
FOREST RESERVES.
State forest reserves should be created
10 each county. Such reserves aside from
the value OF the timber would be educa.
tionai centers for the people Of the yicipi.
y where they could learn tue methods
and results Of good forestry.
TAXATION.
Believing that the faithful administra.
ton of the existing tar law would reveal
wherein changes should be made. I ronId
favor the establishment OF a state tax
commission Of which the commissioned IN
State taxes should be chairman as recon-.
mended by the report OF the speeiaI com.
mittee on taxation. Such a committee
would greatly aid in making the admins.
tratlon OF the present law uniforr
throughout the State.
REFERENDUM
Direct nominations and referend,ns
supplement each other. The srst -
upon men, the second upon measnres
The state Grange has unanimouslv psssas
resolutions fayoring a referendum ofthe
act relating to the traffic of iptoxicatino
liquors While referendum Is eontrars
70 the theory Of our representative form !,
government, vet when a wide. general
sentiment exists that an act vitaIIv 49,.
ing public welfare should be submitted -
popular vote, the question wbether snoh
an act should be repealed or continued 4,
iorcs should after such act has had a ta;-
trlai be submitted to the people Tor 5e,sr.
mination AT the same time such meas
ure IS is proposed as a substitute for a.
existing Law should be submitted