The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-07-14
An Unofficial Primary

There was presented to the Republi
can state. committee at mass meet /
ing OF Republicans IN Montpelier last
week the report of the special com
mittee appointed at the Burlington
spring conference emDodying a party
primary plan for use in the pending
campaign, in the absence of a legal
primary system.
We suppose this plan In its every
detail does not commend itself to any
single ,,person, yet in the ensemble II
is generally agreed to be as satisfac-
ed under the circumstances. Indeeu
in some respects it isea very remark
able achievement, testifying TO the
conscientious manner in which the
members of the committee attacked
difficult task First of ALL it is nee
essarily an informal, unofficial
scheme, worked out to fit present
contingency. The voters declared.
last Mach that they wanted direct
primary. Unless the legislature sits
in special session-which now does
not appear ,.likely--there will be no
official primary for use the coming
fall and parties win have to nominate
in the old way Desiring TO meet the
sentiment expressed in March. the Re
publicans are trying TO frame for the
use of their own party an informal
primary that shall have all the impor-
tant features of a legal direct p.i-
mary so far as the existing law OF
the state will4permit The other par
ties have been invited to join with
the Republicans in holding such a
primary, but thus far have not accept
ed.
The law requires now tliats actual
nominations by parties must be made
by conventions. in order to find q
place on the official ballot While the
nominating must be done by dele
gates as heretofore, this plan reduces
the delegates 10 mere instruments at
the primary. No delegate is eligible
20 seat in the convention until lie
agrees to carry out the ve,dict OF the
primary. This enecWally disanns
the criticism that the plan is merely
the preferential primary II is as di,
rect as the legal requirements viii
possibly permit and nobody really
fears that asconvention so organized
would prove false TO its, word and to
its trust In addition, the plan pro
posed offers the ''wide open" instead
of the closed primary. with its OBJ
jectionable feature OF advance enroll
ment. This feature ought TO popu-
lariZe II in operation. There is no
fund with which to defray the cost
of printing, etc. incidental TO gen
erai primary. Our own view is that
candidates for nomination should pay
email f"entsancc fee" sufficient. in
the aggregate to cover IL. Candidates
always have to pay for their ballots
at caucuses and this would be even
cheaper for them and is open TO no
just criticism that We see. II no bet
Ter way or financing Il appears, IN,
STATE committees can safely divide
the eestin this manner
We believe 1t would be ten.strike
for the Republican party to introduce
and carry out this informal primary
this year aThe people have declared
for. IL and would be gratifed to have
il offered to them in lieu of again fol
lowing the old method. They would
flock to il in large humble and the
Republican party nominations would
be thoroughly representative. If the
other parties do not follow suit, il
would tend TO bring a distinct politi-
cal advantage to The party The trial
would serve a'ye-y useful purpose as
an. object lesson for legislation sure
10 follow.--Randolph Herald and
News