Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-03-01
Direct Primary Nominations.

cause the voters to forget that the
issue whether or not Vermont is to
have a primary law is to be decided by
the voters on Tuesday, March 7th.
The question before the voters is
whether or not to accept the provisions
of the Primary nominations bill,
passed by the legislature last winter,
with referendum clause attached. If
the voters are satisfied with the old
system of nominations by convention
they should vote mo-" If they are
not satisfied and would like to try the
system of selecting nominees by
direct vote they should vote "yes."
In spite of all that has been said and
written on the subject there are still a
good many people who do not under
stand the working of a primary law
although it is simple and easily under
stood. In brief it is as follows: Voters
who desire to support certain candi-
date for state Office. United States
senator, member of congress. or
county official can circulate petition
asking that the mans name go on the
Primary ballot. 1t takes 500 names
to get mans name on the ballot for
governor or other state office or for u.
S. senator. For member of congress
it takes Is names and for county office
it takes number of names equal to
two percent of the vote cast at the
last election,
With names thus presented by the
voters themselves an election ballot is
made up for the primary election which
is set for the second Tuesday in Sep
TENDER. From the names offered from
the various places the voters make
their selection for each place and the
man who gets most votes is the nom
inee. The candidates of each party are
in separate columns and the voter
must confine his marking to the
column of one party or invalidate his
ballot.
The Primary election is held at the
same place and under practically the
same rules as regular election and
the laws regulating regular election
apply to Primary, including penalties
for bribery, intimidation, use of
liquor. etc.
+. In addition the Primary bill also
provides penalty for the voter who
soIcits a bribe or any other thing of
value.
; 1t will be seen that in this way every
voter gets chance to vote for can
didate for every place on the ticket.
under the caucus and convention sys-
tern the fight in the caucus IS almost
always over the Candidate for gov ernOr
or some other one place on the ticket
and the voter gets no chance to express
preference as to the other places. The
primary gives him a chance for an
emphatic vote, for or against every
man proposed. With all the candidates
on the state, congressional and county
ticket to be considered. the interest in
the Primary is ordinarily much greater
than in the caucus and in this way a
much more general expression is
secured.
1t is we'll known that under the
caucus and convention system the dele
gates sent to state, district and county
convention, are about the same men
year after year and some of them get
expert in slate making and wire pulling
to secure the nominee they want
rather than the one whom voters
would prefer. Wouldn't it be far
better and more satisfactory to allow
all voters to go to the regular polling
place and register choice of candidates
as they now go there for the regular
election? Those who believe this
direct vote is best should vote for the
PRIMARY law now pTOpOS0u
The opponents of the direct Primary
have made the statement that the
Primary is more expensive than the
caucus and convention system. This
statement is incorrect. Of the two,
the Primary system is considerably
less expensive Most voters will re-
member the campaign of 1902 when
Mccullough, Proctor, Clement and
Webb were candidates for the Repub-
| can nom nation for governor. This is
believed to have been the most expen,
sive, in proportion to the number of
voters, ever known in this part of the
country. This contest was under the
Caucus and convention system. 1t is
not on record that a direct Primary
campaign anywhere ever cost at the
same proportion. AS a matter of fact
the cost OF a campaign has always
depended on the wealth of the candi-
dates and their inclination to spend
money rather than any system Of NOM
inatjon used. This Vermont Primary
on which the voters are to decide March
9TH contains provision compelling
every candidate, whether winner or
loser, to make public his expenses and
this publicity will do more to limit the
unfair use of money than any other
one thing. On account IF this provi-
sion alone the law should be accepted
by the voters in view of the scandals
that have on several occasions attend ed
Vermont campaigns.
Under the provisions Of the proposed
primary, candidates for town repre-
sentative may or may not be selected
just as the voters prefer. They car
leave the choice of town representative
candidates to caucus TO be held later il
they prefer or to independent filed
nominations such as are now used ir
many towns. The primary does moi
apply to town, city, village or schoo
district elections or to choice of justice
of the peace.
The proposed law provides for a con
vention of each party to prepare &
party platform and makes nominees
for state and county Offices members
of this convention. By this method
the men who have the platform te
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