St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-01-27
PRESS COMMENT
Proposed Amendments to the Prim
AIRY Law.

| discussion which has been carried
on in its columns, The Union is deep
ly interested in the terms of the bill
| introduced by Representative Chase
of Concord, which bears the title:
''An Act to provide for the nomina-
ton of party candidates for public
Office and for the election of party
officers" 1t is in brief an act to
amend the present primary election
| law.
1t seems to be the general con-
sensus of opinion that three things
are to be desired if any changes are
to be made in the present primary
law. These three area limitation
upon the sums of money which may
be spent legally by candidates in the
primary, the doing away with the re-
| quirements for separate party bal
lots and the printing of a blanket
ballot upon which in separate col
umns will appear the list of all can
didates of all parties, and a salts
factory combination of the primary
election principle with provisions
which afford chance for party coun-
sells BEFORE the primary.
The Chase bill attempts but one,
the last named of these three things.
We understand a separate bill is be-
lures in both primary and general
elections and we shall await its APP
pearance before attempting any dis
cussion of that phase of the ques-
ton. The blanket ballot. however,
is not provided in the Chase bill. 1t
retains the present system of sepa-
rate ballots for each party with the
accompanying necessity that the vo-
ter shall declare his party aff1liation
before participating in a primary
| We are entirely aware of the strong
arguments which may be advanced
in support of such course. There
is no entirely satisfactory answer to
the assertion that none but declared
members of party have right to
participate in purely party func-
ton such as the selection of party
candidates. The only answer is that
the public generally are out of SYM
pathy with this idea and quite con-
siderable percentage resent the nee
essity of disclosing publicly their par
ty leaning. The secret ballot, long
in use, has no doubt heightened the
general impression that a mans po-
| litical views are matter of his own
concern, and he should not be re-
Quired to declare his allegiance to
one, or another, of the parties un-
less he chooses to do so. If the leg
islature should strike out this portion
of the bill and substitute a provision
for a blanket ballot, permitting a vo-
ter, of course, to vote in but one party
column, there is little doubt that
such a change would be agreeable
to majority of the citizens.
The most interesting portion of
the bill is that which provides an
opportunity for party action PRIOR
TO THE PRIMARY. This is achieved
by the creation of directly-elect-
ed state committee, selected at the
regular primary election which shall
designate" candidates for governor,
senator, congressman, state senators,
legislators and county officials The
entire committee would designate
the candidates for governor and
United States senators, that portion
of the committee from each congress
sional district would designate can
didate for congress, and the same
rule would hold true of the delegates
from councillor, senatorial and rep
resentative districts, and counties, for
county officers. These designations,
however, do not constitute nomina-
ton. They merely represent the
combined judgment of the party
committeeman. The entire frame
work of the present primary election
law is left undisturbed and candi-
dates, other than those designated
for any Office by the state committee,
can secure a place upon the ballot
by the present method of petition
Thus if the state committee regis
tiers a choice at variance with the
public desire, the fullest opportunity
exists to correct such a mistake. The
evident effort is to create a commit
tee, first, which shall owe its cleo
ton directly to the people, and then,
to insure representative action from
the committee by establishing a pop
ular referendum on the committees
work, at the primary election which
follows.
Here we have. a constructive pro-
posal to remedy what is very gen
orally admitted to be che most griev-
GUS fault of the primary system, the
entire lack of any party solidarity un-
til after the nominations are made.
1t is an apparent weakness of the
present system that it invites, nay
almost makes necessary, internecine
strife; combining with that the ut
most freedom as to the erection of
personal platforms by the candidates.
quite W1InCOOSQ Tic
nomination of a candidate for gov
ernor upona platform in sharp con-
f1ict with known party principles. In
this state in the last primary we saw
republican aspirant for the guber-
material nomination seeking nomi-
nation on platform of government
ownership of railroads. although it
is certain, had he been successful,
that no plank advocating such
course could have been adopted in a
republican convention.
If we can preserve, and we must,
the essentials, the fundamentals of
the primary election principle, and
at the same time provide for rea-
sonable amount of party council be-
fore the primary, tnis latter fault
would be cured. We are frankly ia
vorably impressed with the Chase
bill and we invite, through the col
umns of the Union, a frank and full
discussion of its terms.-Manchest