St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1916-03-01

their own nominations and in this
way a firmer hand in the government
of their state.
The statement has been made in
some quarters that direct nominations
were unduly favorable to the large
towns and give them advantage over
the small towns. This statement is
absolutely untrue. Nominations by
direct primary are now made in 40 of
the AS states of the Union and in not
one single case have the primary laws
been found to be of special advantage
to large towns and cities or of any
disadvantage to the small towns.
So far as my own personal observa-
ton goes l have found the most ear
nest opponents of the direct primary
to be those who had some selfish rea-
son for trying to. control nominations
and elections, corporation lawyers,
politicians who work for hire and
those who are not willing to trust the
plain people. There are also many
good citizens who hesitate to vote for
a direct primary because they are
naturally conservative and fear lest
they make mistake but 1 feel sure
that if the bill becomes a law it will
prove a force in lettering the govern
mental af1a1rS OF vermont.
Respectfully yours,
FRANK E. HOWE,
Bennington, VT, Feb. FL, 1915.
Great Cost of The Primary.
To the Editor of The Caledonian:-
If six or eight candidates for COVER
nor you must alternate names at the
head of the ticket for each town and
each ward in the city. This also would
apply to county candidates. Think of
the number of votes that must be
printed; a man can withdraw 21 days
before primary election, leaving 20
days for printing and distributing.
Each town has to have a separate
printing showing name of town and
if city name of ward. See what extra
printing each ward makes. Names of
candidates must be changed as many
times as there are candidates in each
town and ward. The cost of printing
at the last election was over $500. And
the amount for printing extra ballots
required would be several times as
much with the number of candidates.
would estimate not less than $4,000.
1t is fair to estimate that it will cost
at least $4,000 for the election of state
and county officers. We are asked to
money, and yet we are acting on a
bill which will probably cost $4,000
and very likely much more, and all to
no purpose. To all this must be ad-
ded the cost of holding the primaries
for posting notices, pay of election
officers, ETC., for the same machinery
must be used as in holding the regu-
lar elections. This year being a presi-
dental year there would be two pri-
maries, one in May and one in Sep
TENDER. Should it be necessary at any
time to hold special election for a
United States Senator or Representa-
tive in Congress primary must pre-
cede that election with all the ex-
pense connected with it,
After all this there still remains the
need of nominating justices of the
peace in each town.
At each primary the box must be
kept open from noon till 8 o'clock in
the evening; the votes then counted,
the results publicly announced, and
duplicate blanks filled out showing re-
suit of this voting without any ad-
journment or intermission whatever.
NO wonder then that the provision
is made for a meeting of the town
clerk and others on the following day
to canvass the votes for representa-
tive to the General Assembly.
A fair estimate of the cost of hold
ing each primary based on the actual
cost of holding recent biennial cleo
lions in my home town would be at
least $40 and in cities and larger towns
multiply by number of voting places,
and it is fairly open to question wheth-
er such expense is at all needed
If complaint be made that because
of slim attendance at caucuses there
have been failures to get the real
voice of the people, pray consider
what assurance or even hope can be
held that any more or greater interest
will be shown in attending primaries.
If there be no material change in
this respect under the primary, all
this extra expense and bother practi-
cally accomplishes nothing.
EMERY A. MELENDY.
So. Londonderry, Feb. "a, 1916.
THEY LET HIM SLEEP