The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-05-20

that sas necessAD 10 the maintenance I
representative sayrInmenl, Nc sh0al
think the argument fidleulous." II y
arr 10 make party government ahaiosoa
Ia Tho srnrral government, NC sheal
rlert party candidates - ilFaci vote 9
the msmheFs Of the party,
~ The PRIMARY system lrnds 90
rule II all II the Iaoile, Il does ma
mean the srleilan AZ . candidate irof
repulons center borause II residence
Actual experience shoas that Il tends Z
bring 10 the senler II the state, men q
ABILITY, M matter where they may u
side, II tends ~ discourage the ge0srapii
teal rule, which has attained such slIrasil
under the caucas aud convention. ~ 10
- governors now IN office Who we're che
zen by direct primaries, sx aIe iton
towns ol hess Than Loo inhabitants, al
more from cities ~ towns Of hes thai
a.op inhabitants, and four from cities o
LEES than a0Wl inhabitants
! Under the direct primary the results u
the following states ATE instructive, II
Alabama. four Of the eight state eileen
are from towns al less than 5000 lnhahl
tanisi Ia Afkansas. i've Of the eight af'
from towns Of lees than 500, IA florida
i've Of the seven are from towns Of Ices
than laa; IN Iowa. six of the seven arr
from towns oi l-ss than 2.so; IN Kansas
Tx 81 the eight are from towns Of les
than 900; ia Nehraska, i've Of the eight
are iTom towns OF less less than coo; IN
North Dakota, five 81 the nine arc from
towns Of lcss than 1900; ia Washington,
four 81 the eight are from towns Of lees
than i.oo: ia Wisconsin, three Of the siA
are from towns Of less than 1000; while
ia New York under the caucus aud con
Ycniion system, ak 81 the seven Of the
elective officers afe from cities having a
population, each, OF over $3.50 people
The only deduction from the above i that
the caucus aud convention system results
IN rule OF seciion-a geographical rule
while the direct primary results in a rule
u the people.
II i a general rule under the caucus
system that the larger places enjoy pre-
pondenncc in the distribution OF offices;
but the people Of larger places do not
vote direct as unit. but their delegates
always vote as a unit when IN convcn'
ton assembled. In this county Brattlc-
boro and Rockingham, with a few add.
tional delegates always available. can
control the county convention. Delegates
from these towns have done 30 from the
time To which the mind OF the present
generation runneth not to the contrary.
That is. a few politicians. by trading.
have succeeded in directing the selection
Of our county officials. Can anyone deny
that this condition has obtained, and
that few have actually selected the
candidates, and that the only duty act
ually performed by the people at large.
has been simply TO ratiiy that choice so
madey Have the people Of this county
ever been able to beat the game! DO
you think they, as freeborn citizens OF
AN independent state, really enjoy their
subjugation.
10) Under the primary system a
man OF limited means is not debarred
from obtaining nominations for, or cleo
ton to, public office. This fact, too, is
clearly demonstrated by experience. II is
likewise fully demonstrated in Vermont
that the man without ample funds can
not hope to be selected. Isn't It shame
that state with the glorious history OF
a century in the great sisterhood of states
should find itself at this time practically
limited in its choice of chief executive to
men of wealth. Why shouldn't the peo-
pie of the state command their best citl'
zens to serve them in office, and not be
obliged to take the men who on Blended
knees are begging to be honored, men,
by the spending OF money to secure the
honor. men who are so anxious for honor
which under the conditions is question
able, as to flood the state with letters |
begging support. Il
II a man cannot stand upon the record |
he has made in his private life or in the |
public service, he ought not to be fur |
Their honored. II man Is driven to the |
extremity of entreating support for office, |
he is not the man who ought to have it, |
Let us have a system OF determining who |
shall be candidates which will result in |
a call to the candidates from the people,
a condition which will stand in contrast
to the present condition, begging, en-
treating lot of wouldbe patriots asking
to be honored with public office. Is
this government OF our state rule OF
the few or the many
You men Of Vermont, why are you so
in all things except politics,
and yet appear Indifferent to control of
and subsection to politicians.
The nomination of candidates by a di-
rect vote marks the end of half century
Of. struggle on the part of the people of
Ibis country for full voice in the affairs
If their government What is good for
other states is good for Vermont. The
coming legislature will have the oppor-
unity of placing upon the statute books
IN act which will mean more to the peo-
Die than any other act which has been
passed into law since our beloved state
orced her way into the Union. Such a
aw will do away with system which
las made popular government sham and
| pretense 1t will put in its place sys-
EN- which applies the same laws to the
electing of candidates as is now applied
o the electing of them. The selecting OF
candidates is the all-important event. I
(lD Last but not least, primary elec-
ion law would Danish into the darkness
+ political oblivion those little men
which the caucuses tend to make great,
nd elevate to the public service those
nen which the caucuses naturally make
title,
Respectfully,