Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1910-05-19
UNRESTRICTED DELEGATES.

The idea Of sending unpledged dele.
gates to the Republican state convention.
meets, as was to be expected, with the OPP
position OF the active agencies of all the
announced candidates. The Rutland
newspapers OF Doctor Mead, this Morris
willie representatives OF Mr.. Fleetwood
and the Burlington organ of Mr.. Smith
all declaim against it. The burden OF
their talk is that the proposition is unus-
ual, il not absurd; that the delegates
would have the matter in their own
hands and do just what they liked; and
that the only real way is for the people to
instruct them and have them go and
carry out their wishes. II is urged, too,
that a large number OF uninstructed dele
gates assembling on the eve of the con-
vention, lacking in conference or orgsniza-
tion, would fail to accomplish anything.
1t is further limited, but scarcely believed
by those who utter it, that the whole
move for uninstructed delegates has a deep
plot and motive behind it, with some
candidate in ambush" standing ready to
accept a nomination handed to him in
this way that be could never get in any
other.
Now we grant that as strong a call for
uninstructed delegations as has been thus
far evidenced, from the press and popular
endorsement, is quite unusual. But that
does not condemn it;rather justiies il, for
it reflects conditions that actually exist.
The plain, unvarnished truth is that a
large number of Republican voters in
Vermont are not satisfied with any OF the
candidates for the governorship thus far
announced, nor are they yet put to the
pass of being forced to choose between
them the one least unmeritorious. They be-
lieye not all the resources have been ex-
hausted for commanding the services OF a
man for governor this year who shall be
superior, in point of ability, to those who
have formally entered the lists. Thus be-
lieVing, they claim a right to be repre-
sented, as Republicans, at the state con-
vention, by delegates of their way OF
thinking. II the caucuses shall prove
that this factor is negligible, why, then,
the delegates will go instructed, for one
or other of the candidates, but IL in some
or many towns the caucuses prefer to |
send delegates uncommitted and let them /
exercise their best Judgment at the con-
yention, they are at perfect liberty to do
so. 1t may bother the present candidates
a good deal, and bring about a result /
that will set all predictions askew, but if
it represents the views of the party no
one eau take exception to it.
Sending uninstructed delegates is not
an unheard Of proceeding. Every year
there are some OF them at a state conven.
ton. In some years they have been num-
srous enough to affect the result. And SO
lar as the secondary places on the ticket
ire concerned, the delegates are almost
wholly uninstructed and exercise their
,wn judgment, with, usually, a proper
outcome. In national conventions, Yer
mont seldom instructs her delegates out
light, leaving them free to act as the ext {
,encies and conditions warrant. II is no
lnwritten law that every town caucus OF
lalf dozen or twenty voters shall bind
Is delegates to its liking. 1t can do so, {
4 course, but only il the caucus itself de-
ermines.
As to bow the plan would work out, |
hat is matter of secondary Importance. t
I the people should take the bit in their
seth and run away with all rules and !
recedents, nobody but the present candi- i
stes and the frame-up politicians would $
Orrow. It would be singular, indeed, il z
large number OF delegates Of similar !,
Jews could not, within a few hours, get
,gether in a way that would make them Il
'lves felt. It has been some heretofore, I
otahly in the state convention that over a
irned the Reed program in 1895 and n
mt Mckinley delegates. It is no unpar- 81
leled thing for a convention to drop ell g
.gistered candidates, pick up a new man \,
ID nominate him. And there has never AZ
ZEN a case on record Of man, 30 nomin- b
cd, refusing 3 nomination. Roosevelt g
az chosen for the vice presidency in =
is way, even despite his personal de- IL
res. The call Of the people extended in 81
Ich q say could not Re unhenrd by any 8
40 in Vermont today. The very best ),
.ere is is thus obtainabie, and Why not ri
Ike it2 en-
It would be a thing impossible for . I
~ y 2 nins'tue'eu oeiegstee 70 run 10 to
.vbody bat the people's own and honest ~