St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-11-26

towns. A special election like that
required by direct primaries would
impose a considerable burden upon
the small towns, especially, without
results commensurate.
The Present System
Fort has the advantage of be-
ing long established and being thor
oughfy understood, as compared
with any new system, which should
be manifestly superior before dis
placing it. The caucus and conven-
ton are undoubtedly the cheapest
and simplest agencies for making
nominations. The caucus, rightly
conducted, is as free and fair a
method Of testing sentiment as can
be had. The delegates, usually men
chosen for their capacity to dis
charge the trust, are better quail
flied to select candidates than are
the voters as a whole; and especially
with regard to secondary offices. The
convention is a tremendous advant-
age from both a party and a public
standpoint, and ought not to be des-
trcyed or it's powers circumscribed.
The convention is the only open
deliberate body for making nOmina-
tions, and the only body where the
rule of the majority-not a mere
pIurality-can prevail. The present
system ensures the influence of the
small towns, in proportionate de-
gree, compared with the large ones.
With a convention an admitted nee
essity in order to frame platform
and organize party machinery, there
is not sufficient reason why 1t
should not go ahead end make
the nominations, as it now does.
Against-Because the caucus and
convention system has been found
wanting as register of true party
opinion it has fallen into disrepute
and been abolished by state after
state in favor of more direct meth
DDS. Both caucus and convention
are easily and often manipulated by
political tricksters through party ma
chinery or actual corruption. Can
didates are nominated whom the
people don't want but are obliged
to elect, and officers so elected re-
spond to the demands of the I'M
proper influences and interests that
named them. The people have be-
because things are taken out
of their hands through present
methods. 1t is as essential to have
free and untrammelled nominations
as elections. No price is too high
to pay for a perfected system that
will put the choice of candidates
actually into the hands of the peo-
ple The rank and file are compe-
tent and qualified to select their par
ty nominees without having it done
for them by anybody or anybody
other than themselves. If they
sometimes err it will be no more
than has happened in the past. A
misguided electorate is preferable
to a party boss. The direct primary
has been tried in many states and
none that has ever tried it has aban-
doned it. 1t is the only straight,
direct and honest way to nominate.
1t will work as well in Vermont as
it does anywhere else. We need and
want no makeshifts rhybrids. If
the people are to be trusted to elect
directly, why not to nominate d.
rectly?
We have presented the main ar
| guments for and against each prop
osition as fairly as we could and
shall from time to time take up
special features in the hope of do
ing our duty toward securing at
| the March vote an awakened and
| intelligent verdict on this important
issue.-[Herald and News.
w