The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-03-22
Primary Law Failure

gressive friends to make political cap
ital over the failure of the Vermont
legislature to enact a primary law
this year. The Republican Senate
passed and sent over to the House
two or three different primary or eau
Gus 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 Progressive mem
Der from Lyndon. Later, Cook and
Jose, the two most active Progressive
leaders, had splendid chance to put
through a Senate state wide primary
bill-just the kind of law that pre-
walls in other states-but instead
they both jumped on it because in Ger
tain minor particulars it didn't suit
them, and with the aid of the latent
opposition vote, killed it, Here is
what Editor l.. p, Thayer, himself a
Progressive, said about it in his news
paper, the Morrisville Messenger
The last effort to pass a primary
election law failed in the House Fri
day when s. 81 was killed by a vote
of 80 yes to 116 noes, after having
been amended by Mr.. Aldrich of st.
Johnsbury, the Progressive party
leader On the floor of the House.
1T was supported by Billings of
Woodstock, Plumley of Mortified,
Weeks of Middlebury, Ryder of Bel
lows Falls, and other influential mem
bers, and opposed by Jose of Johnson.
Donnelly of Vergennes, Cook of Lyn-
DON etc
Mr. Donnelly was absolutely hon
est and plainly told the House that
he was opposed to any primary cleo
ton law or to giving the people the
right to vote whether they wanted to
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.
The Republican party and the state
leaders of the Progressive party were
in favor of this bill and cannot be
blamed for failure to pass it, 1t rests
with those so-called Progressives who
worked hand and glove with the rep
resentatives of the old caucus meth
DDS to kill this and other primary
election bills"
Even then-and it was the last day
OF the session-the Republican lead
ers did not altogether despair. A
lolnt resolution, framed by Hon. Guy
w Bailey, secretary of state. provid
ing for referendum to determine
the preference of the voters AT March
meeting IN 1914, was introduced in
ana passed by the Senate and finally
concurred in by the House, without
much objection which is that much
better than nothing in the perform.
ance OF a party pledge. Throughout
the session there was no Sinking on
the part of Republican leaders toward
primary legislation, though some diff.
ferences did exist as to the kind of a
law desired. To illustrate. Senator
Darllhg OF Orange county fought
through the Senate preferential pri.
mary bill. This was quickly souelch-
ed IN the House Then. instead of
taking the Cook-Jose attitude and nh.
structlng other primary bills, Senator
Darling aided in the passage of the
blanchard general primary measure
ana sun later favored the referendum
plan. Considering that the primary
plank was the main holler in the PRO.
gresslve program, it looks to others
besides Bro. Thayer that the most ac.
i've Bull Moosers in the legislature
made misplay on the question when
tue real crisis came. Other Progress.
slVes IKE Aldrich, Eaton. Crosby and
Layton took wiser course.
Primary legislation fell down he.
iore the almost united opposition of
the representatives from the small
towns, irrespectiveness of party. who
recognize no conditions calling for
me costly and elaborate settings that
almost any effective primary system
requires They do not see it as the
representatives Of the larger towns
40 Tor their environment is not tho
same. From the standpoint of the
states ultimate welfare, ii is perhans
Just as well that the question will 90
10 the people for an expression of
thelr views before any legislative
step is taken In March of next vaar
the voters will have an opportunity to
declare either for a preferential nri.
mary like that proposed in the Ad.
bill, or a statewide pri.
mary like that outlined in the Blan.
chard bill, or by saying no to both
propositions they may express a pre.
terence for the continuance of the
present caucus system. The legisla.
ture Of 1914 will undoubtedly follow
their INSTRUMENTATION Herald
and News.