The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-04-29
DIRECT PRIMARIES
Second Letter on the Subject From
Senator &. w. Gibson

In a previous article attention was
called to the nomination Of public OIL
GERS by direct vote. The plan was
explained and it was shown where
the idea has been adopted. 1t is the
purpose of this article to set forth
some of the objections to the caucus
and convention system.
The method now employed is moth
ing more than q custom. The franz
ers OF our state constitution did not
provide a method of ascertaining the
will of the people in the matter of
nominations so we have drifted in
common with other states into the
present custom of doing so by way
Of caucus delegate system, recogniz-
ed In a way by statute.
While the evils Of the system were
early APPARENT, we were, in the early
days OF its use, able 70 get along
fairly we'll under 1t. because the
minds OF the people were in those
days, kept keenly attuned to the po-
litica conditions. Great questions
were engaging their attention. The
great Civil war and the resulting pro-
blems of reconstruction, and the
great commercial development of the
nation and the problems connected
Herewith, all served to keep up the
interest of the people In public mat
| ters. But these later years, the age
of combinations, of uniting certain
| lines of business under gigantic
trusts carried to an extent character
lied by the attorney general in his
recent speech in Chicago as follows:
Whose extent and unchecked growth
/ threatened the stability of free insti-
tutions," have developed the real dan
ger of further continuance of the sys-
| TEN.
Let us consider the objections to
the present method: % 1t subjects
the choice of the people to the con-
troll of certain rules. A candidate
must carry his town or county to
stand any show in the county or state
convention. Local jealousies serve
many times to prevent the people
from having the services of able men
In public positions. 1t has given GER
tain effect to the mountain rule
This is in effect, a geographical rule
which says in substance, THE candi
date may be an able man, the best
man for the position. but the repub
lican party cannot nominate him be
cause he does not live where he
ought to live. II he lived elsewhere
we might call him to the public ser
vice" The choice of the people II
thereby limited. In no other STATE
has this dangerous rule gained sucl
strength as incur state. Is abilit.
and qualification for Office thin
which shifts from the east to tn
west side OF the state every tw
years.
CD It promotes the conduct of a
unscrupulous pre-conyentiOn can
paign. In order to wage a successful
campaign, the candidate for governo
must have representatives in ever
county. That man Is the count
boss" as far as that candidate
concerned. He goes over the coul
" from time to time, keeps in touc
with the situation, keeps the boys
I'm line, helps to plan the conduct
: the caucuses. and after the caucus'
are held. sees that all delegates IA
orable to his candidate are sent
the convention and their expense
paid II necessary. He knows q
game OF politics so far as his count
Is concerned He is resourceful
the end Of getting out to the caucl
only his own retainers end henc
men. He is past master In the a
OF caucus manipulation. The methC
OF conducting these campaigns du
ing the past twenty-five years HI
served to materially lower the sta
dardOf our political morality. III
campaign is not conducted with
view OF combining the election OF d.
egates to the choice OF a few, al
the few being those favorable TO Of
candidate.
GO The choice OF candidates
convention system is a choice by d.
egates subject TO their personal pl
judices by which they are ever CO
controlled. They represent the pc
ticians responsible for their electi
and not the people as a whole. The
voice IN the convention is voice
the politician so responsible. The
by a rule Of the politicians not RI
OF the people Is encouraged.
ca II Is out Of harmony with I
basic principles OF every represen
tive government
CO. II offers field for polite
fraud and corruption. II offers
opportunity for control OF the p
icy OF the state by a few men
made possible and efiectual the C
. troll Of the government OF this ST.
by one corporation for over thil
n years. II makes possible the rule
" the machine. The machinery Il p
. vides Is complex and requires
knowledge OF an expert to run