St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-11-18

TO washington the people OF Vermont
have seen to IL that their interests
and the interests of the nation in the
large sense will be conserved to the
utmost that a single member is able
to guarantee. Senator Dillingham;
may be expected to return to Wash
ington with a stronger feeling that
Vermont and Vermont people, while
naturally conservative, are yet alive
to the demand for change as condi-
tons require a change and he will be
tho. oughly convinced, too, that the
people of Vermont wish him to cast
his vote along with those others who
are sanely progressive along the high
est lines. AS one of the few veteran
senators remaining in Washington he
will take high position as council
lor, and we expect that in the coming
six years Senator Dillingham; will
round out a splendid career OF use
fitness in a most satisfactory way to
himself and to his constituents
Barre Times.
Direct Primaries.
The ST. Albans Messenger says:
eve believe Vermont should have
a direct primary because the people
IA small minority of them) have
said they want it. But under that
law they will get such government
as they deserve, the same as they
do now. 1t is possible to have good,
clean government under the pres
emit system, Just as it will be pos
sible to have it with direct pr1m-
ary."
There is a certain kind of COM
plant against the direct primaries
which is conclusive proof of their
merits.
1t is pretty plausible on its face,
dealing as it does with the small
vote. But when the complaint is
traced back it is discovered that
some of those who complain did not
vote themselves. And going a little
further, it is found that some OF
those who are loudest in protest are
those who want a controllable gov
eminent. That is to say, they do
not wish to take part in politics
themselves, even to the extent OF
registe: ing a vote; do not wish their
political purposes to become public
and he weighed by the free verdict
of interested citizens in an open cleo
ton by having somebody that they
can go around and 'fsee" quietly and
confidentially.
The truth is that they would like
togo back to the Old convention sys-
tenn, principally because, all party
candidates Gwoifld ID. then owe their
nominations to a relatively small
CLIQUE, which is easy to control and
can be bargained with.
There are plenty of imperfections
in the direct primary system in force
in various states and the bosses are
just as much in control as they we're
before, but the way to improve Is
by going ahead, not backing up. 1t
is perfectly possible to devise a sys-
tenn where every voter can feel free
to go to the polls and where the can
didates selected fairly represent a
distinct majority wish.-The Land |
marx.
Newspaper Men Failed.
The Reformer has made remarks
as to the proper sphere of
a newspaperman, and in this connec-
ton it notes, but without jollifica-
ton, that two representatives of the
fourth estate were among those who |
also ran in the recent election. L.
H. Lewis of the Hyde Park News and
Citizen was on the Republican ticket
for the position of judge of pro-
bate, but was elected to stay at home.
Harry Parker, owner of the Brad
ford Opinion many years, was draft
ed at the eleventh hour as the Re-
publican candidate for town repre-
sentative. He made a good show
ing but was beaten by coalition of
Democrats and Progressives. Parker
takes his defeat with good spirit and
says that he is so delighted with the
success of the Republicans through
put the state and nation in general
that the result more than compen-
safes for the personal defeat which
was his portion-Brattlebo Re
former.