Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-07-29
RoUTrs nAIFom

st. Johnsbury, Vt. July 8, 1914
Hon. ChAs. A. Prouty,
Washington. D. c.,
Dear Sir: |
In view of your recent letter. the
contents of which, through the medium
OF the press, have found their way to
the voters of Vermont (who seem es-
peclally prone this year to look Tor
political light several of my friends |
and myself are DESTROYS to know your |
position respecting some OF the para |
mount national issues, namely, woman
suffrage. initiative and referendum.
recall of judges, national prohibition.
labor laws in general and especially
touching the welfare of women and
children, tariff, control Of big business,
prospective railroad legislation and
presidential primaries
| After stating briefly your position
on these matters, will you also kindly
add your thought respecting that polit-
ical mechanism known as party enroll
ment for primaries?
Trusting that you will ind time to
give us terse statement of your posi-
ton as above indicated, I thank you
for the favor which l anticipate it
will be yours to bestow.
/ Very sincerely yours,
/ James B. Campbell.
Washington. D. c., July Ii, 1914.
James B. Campbell. ESQ.,,
st. Johnsbury, VT.
Dear Sir:
}, Your letter of July 9, 1914, in which
you ask me to state my position upon
certain political issues, is received.
While have not at the moment time
to undertake any discussion of the
| Voo Fnf OrtQd #
ly answer your inquiry. Below are
given in their order the subjects to
r which you refer, with my comment in
: connection with each.
l. woman Suffrage" This / IA
vor So long as women are compelled
to earn their own livelihood, to manage
their own property. to sustain their
e full share of the burden of proper leg
D islation, 1T is difficult to understand
: how the right of suffrage can be justly
denied if demanded.
2. Initiative and Referendum. -
: I do not favor the initiative. While in
many instances the most salutary re-
l suits have undoubtedly been accom-
. plished by this means, do not think
8 that on the whole in actual prac
s tice this form of legislation will be
. found to accord with our system of rep
L
= in national matters, it would prove
z both confusing and unsatisfactory.
Q The same objection does not apply tx
% the referendum. which may, l think
= be resorted to with profit in certain
z classes of legislation.
8 8. 1.-The Recall of Judges" l be
70 lieve that some method should be de
- vised by which an unfit federal judg
8 can be gotten rid of, nor do / think th
present method of impeachment meet
- that end. l have never believed tina
It in popular government like ours an!
is official, not even judge, should b.
It appointed for life. Every oficia
Al should come back at stated periods t.
d the source of his authority, where h
u can be asked, if need be, to give an &C
= count of his stewardship. In my opin
% ion. if this system be applied to tn
b judiciary it would obviate any rea
& necessity for the recall. If judge
l. were appointed for a term of, say
n seven years, there must be at the EN-
;. of that term reappOintment by tn
- president and q new confirmation b,
+ the senate. do not think that an.
j. good judge would ever be denied re
appointment on political grounds no
o, that the action of any man fit to b
judge would be improperly affected b.
the consciousness that he must be
|. candidate for Teappointment. 1t is wei
that every official should act under
= sense of responsibility to some one
In Vermont we have in my recollectio
reelected our judges every two years
D. and under that system have promote
a to the bench the best lawyers at tn
or bar and kept them here.
1e q. National Prohibition. be
is lieve in that law, state or national
which will most efectually prevent tn
,e use of Intoxicating liquors, and thi
q. in my opinion, under most conditions
Is is prohibition.
o-I S. Labor laws in general, and es
ne pecialIy touching the welfare of Won
st en- and children" l favor a fair en-
D. ployers' liability act both state and ns
Of tional. l am also in favor of legisls
" ton protecting women and childre
ce from burdensome conditions of service
D. 6. presidential Primaries"
he favor a primary for everv electiv
" Office, including that of president of tn
rs United States.
,l- Z. The remaining three subject
er mentioned in your letter are the tariff
st the control of big business and pros
IN pectiVe railroad legislation. While j
81 my mind these are the matters whic
I'd today intimately concern the voters O
e. this country and which are of NOR
is pressing Importance than the subject
already referred to, it must be eviden
is to you that cannot enter upon q di!
ut cussion of these matters within til
Y. limits of this letter.
Of (a) The Tariff. I have always been a
earnest believer in a protective tart
or but not always in THE protective ta
e- i'll then in effect. Our tariff legisl,
e. ton in the past has been too much di,
to tated by certain special interests whiC
have thereby obtained an nnwarrante
g advantage. In a commercial contei
( between this nation and other eountri,
K of the world the tariff should, to "a
by mind: be potent weapon of OffenG
ms and defence. Reciprocity as the idG
lst was being developed by President n,
Kinley at the time of his death meet