The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-05-12
On - the PrInarr

Is il patriotism OF the hope Of po-
niical profit thai leads Vermont re-
dictionaries 70 so strenuously refuse
10 make use Of legal and legitimate
method 20 secure n0minations should
an ezra session noi BE- convened q
Montpelier Journal
Lieut. Gov. Plank r. Howe and
Secretary Of State Guy ~. Bailey
are on the committee which has been
instructed 10 prepare some plan for
the holding OF an unofficial primary
IN the event Of the legislature not be-
Ing called into extra session 20 give
the state Cor which IL has asked.
The contemporary viii have some
task la fastening the make. -reac-
tionary- on those tWo men. Another
member d Hale X. Darling who eN-
pressed Il his belief that the state
the state should be- given the very
best primary law that could be devils
cd and he declared empha;ically that
20 give the people anything different
than that which they had demanded
he would be apposed 10 any atiemR
At the March referendum. The Jour
nails statement is simply a dioium
that cannot be supported in fact
The contemporary insists that the
way to proceed In the matter is TO
make nominations by petition. The
Messenger insists that the way TO
proceed Is for Governor Fletcher 10
call special session OF the legislature
for in this way alone can Vernon,
have a legal and real direct primary.
In the event OF the failure OF the Gov
ernor 20 call the special session, The
Messenger believes that the Repubh
can state committee is taking the
only course that is open TO 1t in form
ulating some scheme for an unonciai
primary.
The nominating by petition is a
perfectly propes provision In itsei.,
but its use will not make good the
lack OF a primary law. IL was not
intended 10. In days gone past IL
offered any man the opportunity TO
present his name 10 the electorate,
but he had TO do so independent OF
any and every party Now the point
81 6lpIodmsluoo sq u 'sIp lsnf 81
ready for the dissolution OF all party
organization then II may consistent
~ proceed 10 favor nominations by
petitions. but II II believes in party
organization il cannot do so.
For under the petition plan the tic
e. could not carry any party designa
ton. II isn't very probable that Re
publicans. Democ ats, Progressives,
Prohibitionists. and Socialists have
any desire to obliterate themselves
jus. because one man does not see ft
to provide the machinery for which
the people have asked. II would sim
ply be inviting q state OF political
chaos which no party could enter in
to with its eyes open. There must
be some organization through which
the views held by various men viii
find their expression, and this fact IS
so generally accepted as to be prac-
tically platitude.
The contemporary affects to be con
cerned about the participation in any
primary plan that might be proposed.
but it seems to be baseless fear
Other party state committees un-
doubtedly would be willing to join in
an unofficial primary (if they can't
get the real thingl and it seems most
likely tina, no candidate would dare
refuse to join in the effort, for to do
so might be to invite practically GER
tain defeat.
II the primary were unpopular and
II there were no demand for II, one
might expect some trouble of the ma
ture The Journal hints at, but in
view OF the fact that the people OF
Vermont have spoken so emphatically
in this regard it is not reasonable
to expect that they would not do
their share TO bring about their own
desires.
But The Messenger agrees that the
situation might be much improved. 1t
does not look forward to the unofii-
cial primary with unalloyed expecta-
lions. 1t thinks that makeshift is
absolutely unnecessary and that the
people of Vermont are entitled to a
legal and official primary law and OF
right ought to have one for use in the
next election. This should be mat
ter to be decided by the legislature,
rather than by a state committee.
But in case the legislature is not PEI
mtted to do its moral duty the plan
proposed by the Republicans is far
superior to any plan that has been adj
vanced thus far and certainly far SUI
perior to one which would cause the
various political organizations in Yer
mont to lose their identity.-St Al
bans Messenger.