The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-03-19
Friday, March 10, 1915.
TIE PRIMARY FAILURE

The failure of the House to pass q
primary bill is not half so much to be
regretted as it is lamentable that out
and out falsehood was the argument
used to kill the bill. Most of this
falsehood was brought forward inno-
Gently by men who have not taken
the trouble to study the matter but
that does not alter the outcome.
AS far as can be judged from the
newspaper reports the effective argu-
/ ments against the bill were that 1t
| would be unfair to the smaller towns;
that it would be more expensive; and
that the referendum should not be
held binding because only a minority
| of the voters voted on the question.
| The first claim relative to the small
| towns Is not only untrue but the re-
| verse is the fact. Under the caucus
and convention system the big towns
have preponderating influence. The
| conventions are held in the larger
| towns and this brings the politicians
into touch with the delegates from
| the rural communities. The big towns
| send not only delegates but groups OF
| political workers to the conventions
| when they have any interest at stake.
| The little towns often have hard wora
| to get anybody to go and at almosl
| every convention some OF them are
| not represented Even when they do
send delegates they are sometimes OBJ
liged to accept the services of some
| political worker who does not repre-.
sent the real sentiment of the town
| and has been known to act as the az
| ent, with his expenses paid, of some
scheming candidate or selfish inter.
est. The primary gives every man in
every town a fair chance TO express
his choice of candidates and removes
the preponderating influence of the
larger towns.
The COZ OF primary. Is actually less
than the caucus and convention sys
TEN. There are three parties now in
the state of Vermont Each party
holds, state. congressional. president
ial and county conventions and cauc-
uses The cost of all these is tremen-
dously greater than the cost OF one
primary. election held at a given time
in all the towns In the state. The
cost is differently distributed and
more fairly and honestly under pri-
mary that is all The cost of a canvas
does not depend on whether the decis
ion is, by primary or convention but
on other circumstances. The voters
Of Vermont possibly remember the
Webb, Proctor, Clement, Mccullough
canvas of 1902 This was probably
the most expensive state campaign
ever fought in any state in proportion
to the number of voters. How can
anybody who remembers that caucus
and convention canvass oppose pri
mary on the ground that il is "expens-
i've" The primary in itself is less
expensive but the matter of excessive
cost can be regulated only by dras.
tic corrupt practices act 1t does not
depend on the system used.
The talk that the referendum was
not decisive is training at gnat and
cred that the state accepted amend
ment TO the supreme law of the com
monwealth, the constitution. by very
much less vote and by much smaller
majority than the endorsement. given
the direct primary. If the constitu-
tional amendments are rightly made, !
the majority in favor of the direct |
primary should pc decisive. Another |
point too is that the statement that |
only 20 per cent of the voters favored |
the direct primary is incorrect. |
Through referendum on two ques.
lions on one ballot several thousands |
of voters spoiled their affirmative |
ballot by voting yes on boht PROPOSE |
tons Actually the majority given |
in favor of primary was the stfoug.
est approval given any proposal put
before the voters of Vermont in fifty |
years.
The amendment offered by Mr. |
Brown Of Lunenburg to limit the pri-
mary to the state ticket was mis-
take. One of the strong points in
ldNOI VI a. iunl ny |
all the candidates of all the
parties before the people at one time
the interest is increased and mucn
more general expression of the vot-
ers' views is secured.
The opponents of direct primary
are in the main honest men ~,lp
have been misled and therefore do
1ot understand the real situation, A
primary is simply plan whereby
III the voters can go to their regular
polling places and select their candi-
iates Just as they now go and choose
heir officials at election. If 1t Is
light for the voters to elect by ballot
heir state and county officials it is
equally right for the voters to go in
similar manner and under similar re-
Itrictions and choose their candi-
lates.
The primary plan will be finally ac-
.epted in Vermont because it is al
air and decent and honorable way OF
aking the nominating machinery out
# the hands Of the politicians and
l.. tbo hand, fba ,.a,,fr |