The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-02-26
Explains Provisions, Which
Are Simple and Easy
to Understand
SMALL TOWNS NOT
AT DISADV ANTAGE
Most Earnest Opponents of Direct
Primary Have Selfish Reasons for
Trying to Control Nominations, Mr..
Howe Asserts.

Editor of The Reformer:-
The fight over prohibition and 9th
er town meeting interests should not
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 7.
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 a
referendum clause attached, IF the
voters are satisfied with the old svs-
tenn of nominations by convention
they should vote 'no.' If thew are
not satisfied and would like to try the
system of selecting nominees bv direct
vote they should vote 'syes. -
In spite of all that has been said
and written on the question there are
still good many people who do not
understand the working of a primary
law although it is simple and easily
understood. In brief it is as follows:
Voters, who desire to support a
certain candidate for state office, Unit
ed States senator, member of congress.
or county official can circulate nett
ton asking that the man S name 90
on the primary ballot 1t takes 500
names to get a man s name on the
ballot for governor or other state Office
or for United States senator. For mem
Der of congress it takes $50 names and
for county office it takes a number of
names equal to two per cent of the
vote east at the last election.
with the names thus presented by
the voters themselves an election bal
lot is made up for the primary cleo
ton which is set for the second Tues
dav in September.
From the names offered for the vari-
Gus places the voters make their Sc
lection for each place and the man who
gets most votes is the nominee. The
candidates of each party are in seua.
rate columns and the voter must con
fine 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 a regular election and
the laws regulating a regular election
apply to primary, including penalties
for bribery, intimidation, use of LIQUOR
etc. In addition the primary bin also
provides a penalty for the voter who
soiIclts bride or any other thing of
value
1t win be seen that in this wav
every voter gets chance to vote for
candidate for every place on fhe
ticket. Under the caucus and conyen.
ton system the fight in the caucus is
almost always over the candidate for
governor or some other one place on
the ticket and the voters get no chance
10 express preference as to the other
places. The primary gives him a
chance for an emphatic vote. for OF
against every man proposed. With ali
the candidates on the state, congress
sIonal and county ticket to be consider.
ed the interest in the primary is or
dlnarily much greater than in the eau
Gus and, IN this way a much more gen
eral expression is secured.
1t is well known that under the can
Gus and convention system the DELEGATES
sent to the state, district and
county convention, are about the same
men year after year and some of them
get expert in slate making and wirn
pulling to secure the nominee thev
want rather than the one whom vof-
ers would prefer. Wouldn t If he far
better and more satisfactory TO allow
an voters to 90 to their regular poll
ing places and register choice of can.
dldates as they now 20 there for the
regular election? Those who believe
TINS direct vote is best should vote for
the primary law now proposed.
Inc opponents of the direct primary
nave made the statement that the pri
mary is more expensive than the
caucus ans convention system. This