The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-12-18
Democrats in Republican Primaries.

Boston Transcript.)
The Burlington, VT, Clipper, a Demo
cratic paper-the state and the politics
explain why the Clipper is very seldom
heard of-opposes the amendment of
the Vermont primary law for very
curious reason. The amendment de
sired by most of the newspapers in Yer
mont is similar to the one which was
decreed by popular vote in this state
in the recent election-an amendment,
that is, which would restrict voting i'll
the primaries of any party to the en-
rolled members of that party. And the
Vermont Democratic party opposes such
an amendment on the curious ground
that the only chance which the Demo
Gratis of Vermont have to exercise any
influence whatever, III the choice of
state officers lies in voting in the Re
publican primaries. The idea is quite
plain. No Democrat can be elected to
am state Office or to congress in Yer
mont and consequently all the voting
Democrats do in their own party and
for their own ticket, goes for naught.
But II they can affect the choice of
the Republicans for state and coun-
gressiOnal Offices, they have had some
influence: they may have picked out
the man who viii be elected. Under
this notion of the function of a primary
election, that system becomes a form
of minority representation
Ill of which is very interesting, and
it is sufficient to account for such Demo
cratic opposition as may exist to party
enrolment even in this state. Demo
Gratis get little chance to express them
selves here, on state offices or for Unit
ed States senator, except as they vote
for Republican candidates, or as Re
puElicans vote for their candidates
Sometimes they get the Republicans to
do the latter, and the state 'goes Dem
oeratic. They are considerably better
off, in this respect, than the Democrats
of Vermont. But they had been able
under the present primary law, to hit
the political bull 's-eye occasionally
without waiting for Republicans to
vote with them, BY entering the Re
publican primaries and there helping
their political opponents to pick out
their candidates. Thus they were
represented, - though ordinarily and
normally they are a minority.
The trouble about this theory is that
it may be made to work both ways
We may easily conceive a case in which
the Democrats would all 90 into the Re.
publican primaries and elect their man
there, and the defeated Republican ma
jority would 90 into the Democratic
primaries and nominate their man
there; which would mean simply q
wrapping of party labels on the candi
dates. The fact is that the system OF
open primaries was rapidly becoming
mere burlesque of popular choice. Pr
mary elections were not instituted tc
introduce system of minority repre-
sentation, or for the preparation OF
electoral jokes.
The majority by which party enrol
ment was restored at the recent elec
tion in this state, 59,574, corresponds
fairly closely with the average Repub
lean majority at this election, fol
state and senatorial candidates, and tc
that extent may he taken as expressing
the opinion of the Republican party
of this state on the subject of Demo
cratic participation in their primaries
There seems to be no reason why the
Republicans of Vermont should fee
differently on the subject. If they
want to introduce minority represen
tation they will do it outright, anC
not muddle their own political affairs
by allowing Democrats to "express
themselves in their primaries.