The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-15
Politicians for September Election.
(Rutland Herald.)

In the opinion of the Herald, the pro-
p0sal to set back the Vermont general
election to September is progressing back
ward-Rutland Herald.
In the opinion of the News and Citi-
zen. the greatest setback Vermont ever
had was when it changed the time OF gen
eral election from September to Novem-
Der. In so doing she wiped herself off the
map. And the best way to get back onto
the map is to get back to September cleo
tons. It was the September election that
caused other states to "sit up and take
notice of Vermont-Hyde Park News
and Citizen.
There spoke the politician, rather than
the true believer in the independent politi-
cal and material progress of Vermont.
The politicians want the election put back
to September, so as to have more politics
going in Vermont. Haven't we enough
politics now? Does the average Vermont
er want any more?
just as a mere matter of holidays, let
us see where we bring up in a presidential
year with the Vermont election set back
to Septembr:
l. March meeting, which takes a
pretty good day for the most of us:
.. Presidential preference primary 4;
third Tuesday in May
3. Party conventions to choose dele
gates to national conventions; mot later
than three weeks after above)
4. State primary election;
3. State convention to draft plat
(three or four weeks after pri-
mary)
6. State election in September:
z. Presidential election in November.
The Bennington Banner also takes the
politicians attitude, assuming that the
publicity the state gets as a political ba-
rometer is worth all the time and trouble
the September election costs. This may
or may not be true, but The Herald makes
the point that it is not the right kind of
advertising it is demoralizing, belittling
and artificial.
In what presidential year within the
memory of those who advocate September
elections has there been such an interest
in state issues as during 1920?
When were highways, revenues, schools
and other state problems so thoroughly
aired and discussed?
When was there ever a better interest
in the presidential vote and when was a
better record ever made?
Vermont with her elections coincident
with those of other states has not only
gained a working day for her. voters, but
has made amazing progress along public
ity lines where publicity does the most
good-viz, right here at home and among
our own voters and legislators.
In commenting on this proposal for a
September election, the Vergennes Enter
prise and VermOnter says:
The argument. we believe, in favor of
this is that it will give Vermont a national
prominence once in two years that it does
not now enjoy ell-binders of high de-
gree will stump the state and things po-
will liven up generally. Is that a
good and sufficient reason? 1t will not
help TO advertise Vermont as a summer
resort. 1t will not develop any new indus
1t will not increase the acreage or
output of hay, oats and potatoes, or cause
more apple trees to grow. 1t will not
help to make Burlington a great lake port
or Essex Junction a more %populOus rail-
way center. With so many big problems
to be solved. this agitation for a change
in election date seems like a waste of
1t is worse than q waste of time: it is
an attempt to force the state backward.
It proposes a return to a condition where
the principal industry of Vermont was
acting as a political thermometer once in
four years-and it never paid.