Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-06-24
ONLY is PER CENT
scout 0ne.Sixth Of the Voters
Attended Recent Caucuses

g-5ge Gibson Urges the Republican State |
convention to Declare for Direct Nom.
cations.
.-- Editor and Delegates to Republican
state Convention:
The convention Of our party meets on
.s 3gth inst. The first business after
-aanization will be the adoption of a
...-eorm which will declare in favor of
.yse policies the party believes should
H.ally become laws-what the party
AIDS for in the way of the solution of
.-ob.ems which concern the people of
--s state.
The adoption of the platform IS the
-..s, important work Of the convention
L matters not so much who are nomi
ed as candidates for governor or lieu
..-srt-governor, as il does what the
..r.v stands for and which it, as a
whole. honestly represents.
The personal ambition of no man should
--.1d in the way OF declaration in favor
-ns right solution of public questions.
There is no excuse for the existence OF
aolitical party, unless that party stands
Joy progress in the affairs of government
AID men The Republican party has
ever stood for progress and the right
tuition Of all problems, and it must
Sd stand in the coming campaign. The
FL lures Of the last session of the legisla-
-.-e have left a sting, which can only
ae cured by a sincere desire and an
..-est purpose to enact such laws as
Will remedy existing evils.
The selection of candidates for public
0eile by the caucus and convention sys-
I'm is one of the most serious evils in
the body polite with which we have to
.ortend. because through it We are pre-
--1ted from enjoying government OF
md by the people, and are compelled to
submit to a government of and by the
political manipulation.
You delegates who have been elected
q, represent the Republicans of your town
sr city in the state convention, know
COW many Of the voters of your party
actually attended the caucus and had
real voice in the selection of you as
delegates You know how many had to
lo with the framing up OF the situation,
and the naming of the delegates. In the
county Of Windham, after a spirited
.aupaign by three candidates, after
weeks of work and personal solicitation on
-.. part Of the candidates by letter and by
..~sonal interviews and work Of travel
ing representatives, less than fifteen per
cent Of the voters of our party attended,
and can be truly said to have had any
voice at all in the selection of the candi-
date for governor. Yet the candidates
who YOU nominate, you who have been
named as delegates by less than one
sixth Of the members of our party, Will
be elected in September. and II therefore
follows that at the most, less than one
sixth Of the voters of one political party
e-tlaly name our state officials. An
editorial writer claimed that the Indiana
primary election law is a failure because
.-,- 80 per cent of the voters attended
the last primary election. II II is a
failure when only 30 per cent attend,
what Will that writer say as to the merits
If a system when less than Is per cent
attend? Was there ever a time in the
memory OF the present generation when
anywhere near 80 per cent of the voters
attended the caucuses in this state?
In nearly every town in this county
the delegates were actually named by
less than half a dozen men; the dele
Gates Of the two largest towns of the
county representing a voting strength
ri about 5000 Republicans were actually
named by less than dozen men, whose
selection was ratified at the caucuses
b, only II per cent of the voting strength
= the party in those towns, and this
after strenuous work on the part of the
t4rdidates. In fact, in a voting strength
~ over 5000 not over 10 men had TO DC
with the actual naming of the delegates
md the shaping Of the policy of the
5a-rv in the county. What is true Of
W.ndham county, l venture to say Is
TRUE Of all the counties of the state DC
.0l call that a rule of the people?
What is the reason for this inattend'
auoe at the caucus and the dangerous
apathy on the part of the voters? IL
because the ordinary voter has been film
mined 50 many times in caucuses ma
r.rulation, because he has come to under
stand that he who has no time to give
politics is no match in the game VIII
The one who makes that his business
He IS shackled by existing conditions
created for that purpose. Is it not tint
q. strike those shackles from him anC
..aCe them on the other fellow-the poll
-oan?
The convention in which we will 81
~ Of less than lU,p
~ the Republican voters of this stat
~ The most and in fact, less than
r.7-sand voters when We consider thos
vino actually manipulated the caucuses
The representatives of the 1000 at IN
most or the 1900 actually, will sit IN I'M
c..vention and name the executive
,t5-ers for the $50. 900 people Of the state
Take an illustration Of the actual work
ing out Of the caucus system: In IN
county Of Chittenden there was contes
over a senatorship. Two Of the candl
dates resided in the city OF Burlington
and a set of delegates all favorable L
.-= candidate was elected. Burlington l
also the home of candidates for judge o
rebate and states attorney. NO at1eh
--r whatever was paid 10 those IN "a
a-cgs The vote of the delegates in IN
s1ty convention as to judge or propat
r-5 the states attorney Will be slmpl
expressive of their own choice Wlthou
--trd TO what the people OF the city o
Burlington actually want, ana the acto
the convention as to the senatorshi
Will be taken without regard 10 IN
--.al wishes of the Republicans outslu
o. the city OF Burlington.
Again the caucuSes recently hei'
-auonstrate the fact that the man Wh
has no money TO perfect an organizatlo
..l 10 push his campaign, ana enpIo
I- In all parts of the state TO adVahc
his interests, doesn't stand an even snU
c.- The governorship with the man wn
.- Therefore the caucus system teno
-. "a rule Of the few, and 10 the dom
-.on Of the man of wealth and 10 IN
Engagement Of the able ana ueserN
r citizen who does not have the none
-. perfect an organization and TO advane
personal ambition
say this without any desire to chal