The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-04-08
ADVANTAGES OF
DIRECT PRIMARIES
Principles Explained by Judge
Z. w. Gibson.
ny NO MEANS UNTRiED METHOD
Was FRS, Pu, in Use In 1850 in a coun'
~ in Pennsylvania Where IL Has Been
Used Since Summary Of the Law In
,rodueed IN Las, Legislature.

The nomination OF candidate, foi
public oihcr by a direct vote j. one ~
Ia. issues before the people W The present.
lprr.couyrniion campaign sihcr m''
nropo,ed method Of selecting candidates
/ !, moi fully understood by all, and since
Il reasonably follows that u ought 70
he understood In order that intriligrhl
action thereon may be taken, 10 The rhd
at adopting II IL after full consideration
n appears that II ought 10 be adopted
and n irctlng II II il ought 10 he INJECTED
/ take the liberty Of asking for space IN
this. and possibly IN other issues OF
YOUR paper, 10 sci forth the direct vote
method, stating as CLEARLY As J am able
what Il i. where In force, u proven adj
yaniagcs, and the proven disadvantages
Of the present caucus system.
II has been well said that the "iounda-
iions Of a representative government rest
in the primaries" Then Il follows that
in order 10 protect thosc foundations Ne
must look 10 the primarir, and see 10 II
that they register CORRECTLY the viii 81
the people. This Is especially true IN
a state like ours where a nomination by
the voters of the Republican party l.
equivalent 10 an election, because the
nomination means the election; and II
means, too, that the public officials are
really selected al the time that the nomi-
nations are made, and not al the time
when We ratify the action Of caucus and
convention at the general election. \
few OF the voters manipulate the sclec-
tiun at the caucu, and convention. which
selection the mass of voters ratify at
election time
We now select our candidates for
Office through the delegates elected at
thinly attended caucuses, who attend a
series OF conventions, which nominate
candidates for state and county officers,
seventeen at every of election year. and
twenty in every presidential year. for
each political party. II Is most cum
bcrsome and complex system when viewed
in any reasonable perspective. The nomi-
nation by the direct vote method differs
from our present system in this, that all
the voters Of each party vote directly for
the party candidates. the delegates (who
have aptly been termed political middle
men") being cut out. Under il the
methoa of creating party organization is
not changed. but the nominations. now
made by delegates in convention as
sembled, is given TO the people, who
select by a direct vote. The old system
is an indirect way of selecting candidates,
the proposed system direct one The
old system serves TO place the election OF
in the hands of the few. who
are recognized in every community As
political manipulators. The proposed
system aims to give every voter an OPP
portunity to express his choice by his
vote, and operates thereby to shift the
choice of candidates from the few to
the many. II is simple. II is in har-
mony with the theory of the government
under which we live in this state. II is
effective in reducing to minimum the
of the political manipulation, and
IN securing the choice of the people. In
practical operation it would mean that
very voter of every party would select
his candidate in exactly the same way as
We elect our public officials at election
lime. a simple, effective law, such as
We ought to have to suit our needs. would
apply the methods we use at general
Elections to the primary election.
To show what a primary law is, let
IS briefly review the provisions of the !
,ill which was passed by the senate in
90s. 1t provided that candidates for |
tate and county offices and representa- |
ives to congress should be nominated |
" primary election, held on the third |
tuesday of June; that all parties which |
lad polled at least one per cent of the |
otal vote at the last previous general |
lection should be entitled to participate
or an official party ballot for each
'arty; that names of candidates for |
omination should be placed upon the
flical ballot upon petition of certain
lumber of voters of that party in time
mat the county clerk could print, for
ublic information, the names OF all can
laates OF eacf party al least three weeks
rior to the date OF the primary, and
ach Town clerk post Tor pubic informa-
ION the names OF an candidates IN tnree
uDlc places IN each town; Tor Dallots
'lth me names OF all candidates ar
ahged alpnapeucailv according TO the
arhame' win oiahk space Tor the writing
OF any otner name desired by the
oter; lor Young by check lists the same
now used' Tor method OF voting the
uo,er in damandina iouat hid ,a
ate The n,rtv ha,lnt das;rad .o CO.. .''u nra
snti,a ~ p rotors 90 ono ,a.., ~, p,
~ tbe oand;datos 90 annthorp .hat
hen 80 nror;ded u';.h tha ST. ST. .na.
allot be should r"tira ~ hna.h pa,,S
esirnote bn nross tha 49,, o 30 H. any,
esired &c Tho cand;data nf h;a ~. 80. a
~ the countina Of rotes hv 10 ps aaa.
ficers and the mailing Of tho returns a the
,me as for renerai s,oo,;nns. a. .ho
,as har;no ~ h;nho'4 '.uo ,l, va. tne