The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1913-11-27

vita thres or more candidates. =
plsragiisy. instead Of majority
ehpice. wiiA the possibility that the
nosniaee MAJ b. ihs man ieatt wautc
by a rial majority 81 the party in
! Neraoat Il would also moan the
throwing doNn % sown lines and a
4 pregonasrAting u not determining.
lanaehee BY 3 few cities and large
toWns. whose heavy vote is easily
lUaas compared with that a the sea
,cr@a votes u small towns A spec.
lAl election like that required by
dircci Primaries would impose a
considerable burden upon the small
iowns. especially. without results
Commensurate
The Present System.
For II has the advantage or be-
.ag long established and being
thoroughly understood. as eompar-
ID with any new system. which
should be manNestly superior be-
fore displacing a. The caucus and
convention are undoubtedly the cheap
~ and simplest agencies for making
nominations The caucus. rightly
conducted. is as free aud fair a
method " testing sentiment rs
can be had The delegates. usually
men chosen for their capacity TO dis
charge the trust, are better quail
fled to select candidates than are
the voters as whole; and especially
with regard to secondary offices.
The convention lib tremendous adj
vantage from both party and a
public standpoint. and ought not 10
be destroyed or its power circum-
scribed. The convention is the
only deiiberatiye body for making
nominations, and the only body
where the rule Of the majority -
not a mere plurality--can prevail.
The present system ensures the in
fluence Of the small towns. in a pro-
portionate degree compared with
the large ones. With convention
an admitted necessity In order TO
frame platform and organize par
ty machinery. there ds not sufficient
reason why 1t should not also 30
ahead and make the nominations, as
1t now does.
Against Because the caucus and
system has been found
wanting as register Of true party
opinion II has fallen into disrepute
and been abolished by state after
state In favor OF more direct meth
IDS. Both caucus and convention
are easily and often manipulated
by political tricksters through party
or actual corruption. Can
didatss are nominated whom the peo
Pile don't want but are Obliged 10
elect, and officers so elected respond
10 the demands OF the improper in.
fluences and interests that named I
them. The people have become dis. ,
gusted with politics largely because
things are taken out Of L.
hands through D ~ ent me .hods. II
s as essential TO have free and un-
nominations as elections.
No price is too high to pay for a s
Perfected system that will put the
,hoice OF candidates actually into i
he hands OF the people. The rank
Ind file are competent and qualified /,
o select their party nominees with
tut having 1t done for them by any
,ody or any body other than them
elves. II they sometimes err ii
will be no more than has happened q
n the past. A misguided electorate
3 preferable to a party boss. The II
irect primary has been tried in
many states and none that has evei b
ried 1t has abandoned 1t. II is the
My straight,dir and honest way u
0 nominate. II will work as well
a Vermont as 1t does anywhere
lse. We need and want no make :
hits or hybrids. II the people are
D be trusted to elect directly, why y
OF nominate directly? - Randolph
Ierald. W