St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-04-02

greSSiVe friends to make political
capital over the failure of the Yer
mont Legislature to enact a primary
law this year. The Republican Sen
ate passed and sent over to the
House two or three different primary
or caucus reform bills, but they were
slain one after another. The House
passed no primary bill Of any kind.
1t came within two votes of passing
the Cook bill. drawn by the Pro-
gressive member from Lyndon. La
ter, Cook and Jose, the two most
active progressive leaders, had a
splendid chance to put through a
Senate statewide primary bill-just
the kind of a law that prevails in
other states-but instead they both
Jumped on it because in certain
minor particulars IL didn't suit them
and with the aid of the latent OPP
position vote, killed it. Here is what
Editor l.. p. Thayer, himself
Progressive, said about it in his
newspaper, the Morrisville Messen-
GER ........
The last effort to pass a primary
election law failed in the House Fri
day when S. 81 was killed by vote
of 80 yes to 161 no, after having
been amended by Mr.. Aldrich of st
Johnsbury, the progressive party
leader on the floor of the House.
ut was supported by Billings o.
Woodstock, Plumley of Mortified
Weeks of Middlebury, Ryder of Bel
lows Falls, and other Influential
members, and opposed by Jose OF
Johnson, Donnelly, of Vergennes,
Cook of Lyndon, etc.
Mr. Donnelly was absolutely hon
A-Ul ~ hot
he was opposed to any primary cleo
ton law or to giving the people the
right to vote whether they wanted tC
or not. That he believed in party
caucuses just as they were now
They were good enough for him, etc.
The other two tried to befog the
question.
1.-The Republican party and tho
state leaders of the Progressive part.
were in favor of this bill and can
not be blamed for failure to pass it
1t rests with the so-called Progress
sives who worked hand and glove
with the representatives of the old
caucus methods to kill this and
other primary election bills"
Even then-and it was the last
day of the session-the Republican
leaders did not altogether despair.
A Joint resolution, framed by Hon.
Guy w. Bailey, secretary of state
providing for a referendum to- de-
termine the preference of the voters
at March meeting in 1914, was in
troduced in and passed by the Sen |
ate and finally concurred in by the
House, without much objection;
which is that much better than moth |
ing in the performance of party |
nh. ton
there was no Sinking on the part OF
Republican leaders toward primary
legislation, though some differences
did exist as to the kind of law de-
sired. To illustrate, Senator Darling |
of Orange county fought through the
Senate a preferential primary bill
This was quickly squelched in the
House. Then, instead of taking the
Cook-Jose attitude and obstructing
other primary bills, Senator Darling
aided in the passage of the
Blanchard general primary measure,
and still later favored the referen
dunn plan Considering that the
primary plank was the main holler
in the Progressive program, it looks
to others besides Brother Thayer
that the most active Bull Moosers ir
the legislature made a misplay on
the question when the real crisis
came. Other Progressives like AL
drich, Eaton, Crosby and Clayton
took a wiser course. 1-af.n
Primary legislation fell down be-
fore the almost united opposition o
the representatives from the small
towns, irrespective of party, who
recognize no conditions calling for
the costly and elaborate settings that
almost any effective primary system
requires. They do not see it as the
representatives of the larger towns
do for their environment is not the
same. From the. standpoint of the
states ultimate welfare, it is per-
haps Just as we'll that the question
will go to the people for an express
sion of their views before any legis-
lative step is taken. In March OF
next year the voters will have an
to declare either Tor
preferential primary like that pro-
posed in the Administering bill, OF
a statewide primary like that out
lined in the Blanchard bill, or by say
ing no to both propositions they may
express a preference for the contin-
uance of the present caucus system
The legislature of 1914 will I'M
doubtedly follow their directions
Herald and news.
Vermont Teachers and Their Pay
In a letter ''to the Editor of tho
a correspondent who be-
speaks contributions to the Yer
mont teachers pension fund asks
the question, ''Ts it generally known
that the average pay of the women
of Vermont is only 96 cents
per working day throughout the {
year?" In the same communication
il is also asked, us it any wonder
that the best teachers have been
leaving Vermont as fast as they
could get away?"
without doubt the average wag'
Of the elementary school teacher in
Vermont is discreditably low. 1t Il .
l state of affairs that is recognized
but not assented to by Vermont edu- /
Gators and by an increasing portion
Of the general public. But the I'M ;
Repayment OF school teachers is not