The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-08-19

| lican." when Roosevelt was the only can
didate before the convention and had full
swing there. Some of us cannot forget
his disloyalty and absolute PREACHER,
towards President Taft We believe
that such man, who is now loudly adj
voeating measures which he vehemently
opposed while president is nothing short
Of demagogue, and that his election
TO the presidency would be one of the
greatest calarnities that has ever hap
pened to this country.
Passing on to another plank in your
platform, | note that your party de.
clares for the initiative, referendum and
direct nominations through primaries,
and also the direct election of United
States senators.
Taking up the question of primaries
first: | know and you know that the
convention which nominated me exI
pressed in its platform, which as I'M
derstand was drafted by Mr. Metzger
himself. demand for more direct con-
troll by the people over the nomination
OF candidates. In the few remarks which
| made in accepting the nomination, yod
will remember that / distinctly said
that was in favor of primary law
which was adapted TO our conditions and
system OF government, but that as yet |
had not seen any. | am willing and will
pledge myself to work and vote for a
primary law that will give to the citi-
gems of each town chance TO express
their preference as to all candidates,
such preference to be absolutely binding
upon the delegates which said town may
elect. But as | understand it, by the
plank in your platform, you demand
state wide primaries and would entirely
ignore the town as political unit, and
would make the man who has the mast
votes from all over the state the nomi-
nee for the particular office. If am
elected to the Senate, | shall absolutely
oppose. to the extent of my power, any
law that fails to recognize the towl
as the. political unit and permits dele
gates to be chosen and nominations to
be controlled by the entire vote of the
political division for which the officers
are to be elected.
Il will not see the small back towns
as factor in this or in any
other matter, without protest. Under
the constitution of this state, the town
has its right to be recognized as a politi
cal unit, and the, people have time and
again, when opportunity has been af-
forded for amending the constitution, re-
iterated their determination to retain
this feature of our state policy. And
for one, | will not be bullied nor STAN
peded into robbing such towns as Orange
is largely composed of this weap-l
IN of self-defense that has wisely been
placed in their hands.
Il likewise oppose the initiative and
he referendum for the reason among
others that it would permit the larger
of this state to inaugurate |
md enact laws which might work hard
hip upon the small towns that make up
iur county.
Il also oppose the direct election of !,
Inited States senators which your plat
orm calls for. Here, as in the instance
before mentioned, is embodied a scheme
% wipe out the influence that such towns
q Orange county is made up of have
hitherto had for years, and to make of
hese towns simply voting precincts to
,e overwhelmed possibly by the vote Of
small fraction OF some larger town or
ity. Our present system of election by
he general assembly, where. each town
as had its say. has worked we'll No
amt of corruption has ever infected it,
nd the results have given to Vermont
nen of commanding influence in the
ational councils. | say, let us keep up
his system and not substitute for it a
cheme that will put the many small,
7eak towns at the mercy of few strong
mes, who by bare majority of numbers
an outvote us.
Il firmly believe that as long as the