Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-03-12

HeI u ne IL d IIHS III puIIy NCIhhhN 90 Iii III
f~orgivable sin. The spirit of the New Republicanisn, repre-
senting more direct government by the individual voters, has
sought to move the party in Vermont at different periods since
the dawn of the twentieth century, particularly in 1908, but
with Indifferent success.
In the year named the republicans of the Green Noun
tain State caught the inspiration of Hughes republicanism, as
when an open door sends a flood of fresh air into a crowded
hall whose atmosphere is heavy and nauseous with effete ami
NAL matter, only to have the door of life-giving hope and in
MIGRATING ozone slammed in their faces by the powerful fac.
tors then dominating the party. Again in 1912 the great mass
of republicans of Vermont would gladly have welcomed a
Hughes about whose standard the warning republican factions
could rally, but the opportunity had passed, apparently never
to return.
Strangely enough Vermont has been one of the last of the
sisterhood of States to espouse for itself one of the
cardinal principles Of the New Republicanism as e%xemplifed
by Charles E. Hughes. State after State in all sections of the
country has adopted more direct choice of public servants by
the electorate, until Vermont is the only State in New Eng
land and one of the few in the whole country without direct
nominations.
That it is a dangerous thing to try to dam public senti-
ment regarding a great principle of self government has been
shown repeatedly. Whether the people of Vermont have
grown tired of waiting for a chance to enjoy direct nomina-
tons at the hands of the Republican party and have found a
new way to nominate a candidate for high office remains to be
demonstrated, although that possibility is indicated by current
events in the political field.
We are among those who believe the Republican party
still has grand opportunities before it, however, in Vermont as
elsewhere. The party of Lincoln and Seward and Chase, of
Sumner and Hay and our own venerated Morrill, still lives, and
will again prove it's right to live and do service. Some of it's
leaders OF to-day may nave followed alter strange political
gods and worshlpped over-much in the temple OF MammOn, but
many Of them are now doing works mete for repentance, while
the rank and file both in Vermont and out of it have remained
true to the faith and traditions of the republican fathers.
This republican trait was never better shown than in the
referendum which resulted in an overwhelming popular ver-
dict in favor of direct nominations in Vermont. Every poiti-
cal party in the State had been constrained to incorporate in
its declaration of principles of 1912 a plank favoring direct
nominations, and yet the factors in control of the Legislature
had been able to thwart the popular will and upon one excuse
and another prevent the passage of a direct primary law until
a referendum was the only loophole Of escape from total de-
feat.
Now that the rank and file have shown their will beyond
the possibility of question or doubt, the supreme question for
the Republican party in this connection is whether it will still
continue to permit some of it's dominant factors to try to block
the progress of genuine direct nominations by substituting a
dummy after the manner of New York. or whether it will ex-
ert every effort to spread upon our statutes a measure en-
bodying the best features of present day primary elections.
We believe the Republican party in Vermont will be
found ready to respond to the popular demand with a measure
that shall provide genuine direct nominations, including the
right of nomination for all aspirants on the primary ballot by
petition; and to this end we shall hope to Join with our contem-
poraries in discussing the most approved direct primary laws
of other States in order that careful deiberation may enable
Vermont to adopt the best possible system.
The direct primary is only one of various issues in connec-
ton with which Vermont republicans can grasp present oppor-
tunities. We owe it to ourselves, whether progressives and
republicans are to ~amagamate or not, to put our party in the
very front rank of progress in different directions, to the end
that we may provide an open door for the young men of Ver-
mont, and especially first voters.
The State committee is about to hold a meeting for reor-
ganization to a certain extent and it is important that young
men in sympathy with direct nominations and other progress
sve measures be given recognition that voters may see our
professions of New Republicanism are not all lip service, and
that New Republicanism may be nurtured in the house of it's
friends.
We are about to enter upon a preliminary State campaign,
and it behooves republicans, if they would save and serve their
party, to insist that candidates shall be those in sympathy
with the policies the rank and file of voters plainly desire to see
carried out in Vermont. We cannot hope to win young men
to our republican standard by shouting for New Republican,
ism 2nd vet nominating 30 ~ "".. v.3o ->tf ~ clinqing
10 the interests and policies responsible for the rebuke Of re-
publcanism everywhere.
make their position plain regarding the New Republcanism
and demonstrate their readiness to exernplify the principles
which lie at the foundation of genuine self government, to
serve the people as a whole rather than any powerful in
terest or combination of interests and promote the common
veal in every legitimate way. Some of these special issues
and opportunities will be considered in these columns in de-
tail from time to time in order to help Vermont again set the
pace for the nation under the banners Of the New Republican
ism.