The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-01-03
Closed Primary Not Wanted.

The articles in this paper regard
ing the closed primary have brought
forth storm of protest not only
from the State newspapers but from
Boston and New York. The Boston
Transcript makes long editorial
comment which is printed in another
column and the New York Times
characterizes this PAPER as "A Yer.
mont Posy" Really. this is funny
and when an editor fails TO find rea-
sonable argument ridicule is resorted
10. The Times says:
Students of the Vermont election
returns this year may have thought
that the Green Mountain Democracy
was strong and thriving. Such is net
the case. Divers Progressives al
soured Republicans may have voted
for Mr. Wilson. but the Vermont
Democratic. Party is still diamond
edition. and irreducible minimum.
barely big enough TO fill its quota of
Federal Offices. coni eniently COM
pressed. as in the brave old days.
when il could be assembled without
crowding in George VI Stearns back
yard
For. while most Vermont news.
papers want the State primary law
amended. as the people voted to
amend IT, SO that only enrolled men,
bers of a party can vote in that
pdrty's primaries. The Clipper of
Burlington. true blue Democrat,
raises a demonstrating voice AS a
Democrat can't get state Office in
Vermont or have any hope of going TO
Congress. his sole way to express his
political self, to have any shadow of
effect upon State or Congress cleo
lions. is to vote in Republican primar-
les. If he can't choose Democrats,
at least he can have hand in pick
ing out Republican candidates.
Unclassifed. unplucked. beloved,
let this strange, solitary flower re-
main, the first posy that ever had
the heart to grow on primary law.
Now. isn't that Beautifully Yer
mont Posy. Evidently the New York
Times is quite jealous of who votes
in Republican primaries. The whole
matter raises the question as to what
constitutes Democrat or a Republi-
can. No law can regulate that, eth
er in the primary or election. Every
voter has that privilege and it ought
net to be necessary to shout 1t from
the housetops. The secret ballot at
the election protects the votes from
ttcfI L. TIA kA nll ~
mary will act in the same way
There are many men who do not
care to have their political affiliations
made public and these men are by no
means mollycoddles. They are peo-
pie of note but to be active in the in
terest of any party would destroy
their independence and fasten on
their shoulders the burden of the poll
teal party tag.
In times gone by the strength of
the politicians was in banding togeth-
er their henchmen under their party
tag. This was political power and the
town BOSSES welded it with all their
strength. Under the secret ballot
much of this power was lost to the
politicians, Now they simply hold
control of the nominations. Under
a closed primary the power of the
politicians is largely modified. II
gives the voters free opportunity to
choose their own party without out
side influence.
a primary law which requires par
ty declaration will put the party tag
on the voters--and the party tag
tends to lessen Independent voting.
This is not to be desired. The indie
pendent voter is generally the man
of honest convictions and his vote