Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-09-14
NERMONT'S FIRST DIRECT PRI-
MARY.

Vermont made it's first trial IF the
direct primary system of making nominal
lions Tuesday under the most favor
able conditions MS TO weathe~ AMI
exciting preliminary canvass involving
United States senatorial and county
contests, but with comparatively little
interest in the State ticket, with the
exception of lieutenant governor and
State auditor. In some communities as
in Burlington a spirited Representative
contest helped get out the vote
Interest in the United States senatorial
struggle overshadowed all other textures
of the primary in the State as a nhole,
however. In connection with an effort
to show how this fact developed in con-
nection with the receipt of returns. i.
may interest our readers to know how
the results of the primary were sum
married for the newspapers.
The Associated Press selected Bur
lngton as headquarters Of the stat ana
transformed the counting room Of the
FREE PRESS into "a telegraph7 and
news bureau. Four telegraph operators
received and sent out the figures. y
force of clerks armed with two adding
machines aided in handling the returns
Every little while bulletins were sent
out to the newspapers and it VIII b.
illuminating 20 quote the first four
bulletins as showing how fascinating IS
the receiving of bulletins on whicn cleo
ton tables are based in part.
one of the first bulletins said: Po.urns
from &c election precincts representing
IS out of 246 cities and towns give. L. s.
senator, Fletcher 80, Gates 44}. Pagr
2.252 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, Hulburd 1.lIn
1900
To the practical handler Of ELECTION
returns these figures from towns dis
tributed throughout the State slowed
Enthusiastically that Senator Page vas re-
nominated by an overwhelming ma
1ority over both Gates and Fletcher
combined See how the margins FOR the
respective candidates rose and ttll in
the following skeetonized bulletirT
Returns from 81 towns give: Foo T.. s.
senator, Fletcher $50, Gates 9GS. Pag- 3, 1876
Lieutenant ITulburd 1910,
Weeks 1876 Auditor, Cave 1881. Gates
2oa5.
Returns from 70 towns give; For u. S
senator, Fletcher lbs, Gates LOS. Page
ALSO. Lieutenant governor, Hulburc 2,Gl7,
Weeks 2,SO3 Auditor, Cave 2,27L Gates
29n.
Returns from 50 towns give: For l. s.
senator, Fletcher 1,352, Gates 1853 Tage
b,s56. Lieutenant governor, 1IulburI 3351,
Weeks 1853 Auditor. Cave 2,7s3, Gates
s,5S5
1t is evident from this that while
Senator Page and Benjamin Gates had
clear margins of large dimensO1;, the
race between Hulburd and Weeks was
running very close as the return, came
into the office, first one being III the
lead and then the other as different parts
OF the State were heard from. This
continued during the night with varying
results until the figures were given as
printed in our news columns.
Inquiry of a considerable number Of
voters in Burlington showed the rank
and file to be well pleased with the fact
that they had n hand in nominating
candidates for the different offices direct
| ly themselves. The opinion was expressed
| that II would be brave man who would
tptry to take away this privilege.
r The interest aroused by the different