The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-09-07
Believes Blank Ballots Should Not Be
Provided.

4 Editor, Barre Times: | read witt
much interest an editorial in TIL
Times of Sept. | bringing to the at
tention of the reading public the con
dition which obtains in Windhan
county relative to the primary cleo
ton, arising from the fact that the
Democratic party in that county had
| failed to file nomination papers for
county officers, and that because oil
such failure, the county clerk of Wind
ham county declares that no ballots
win be provided for the Democratic
party for use at the primary Sept. II.
And by reason Of the fact that the
same condition obtains in Orange coun
ty, in that respect, as does in Wind
ham county, as set forth in your edi.
torial, and having given the statute
the same Interpretation, evidently as
did the clerk of Windham county; and
having decided to provide no county
ballots other than for the Republican
party, by reason of the failure Of any
other party to file nomination papers,
! beg leave to ask your indulgence for
a brief space in your valuable paper
to bring the real meat Of this contro-
versy, il controversy it be. to the vot-
ers at large who are entitled to any
suggestion which will tend to evolve
correct Interpretation Of the law gov
erning the mediums through which our
candidates for public office are ulti-
mately placed upon the ballot for our
general election.
fsbartar
amended by the acts of 1919 and 1921,
constitute the law which il in force
to day, relative to the nomination of
candidates for state, congressional and
county offices and for representative
to the general assembly by primary
election. Under the law governing our
primary election prior to 1921 ballots
were provided by the secretary of
state, county clerks and town clerks,
with party columns, and though II
happened that party failed to file
nomination papers for candidates for
office. the column of that party on the
ballot was left blank. which afforded
such party the privilege of electing
whether they would avail themselves
of the machinery Of the primary, by
writing in names in the blank column
to make up the list OF candidates of
that party at the general election, or
whether they would provide such list
of candidates under the provisions of
chapter 10 of the general laws, which
provides for nomination Of candidates
by convention, caucus, committee or
by certificate, or whether such party
would elect TO place no 'ticket" In the
field, in which case, the official whose
duty it was to provide the ballots for
the general election, was required to
provide party columns on the ballot
for only such parties, as had placed
it's ticket" in the field, in addition
10 the Republican and Democratic par
ties.
At the biennial session of 1927 of |
our legislature, bill was passed, to
wit; Act No. I, section |, of which |
amended section 10 of the general |
laws, doing away with a ballot with |
party columns for our primary cleo
ton, and providing in lieu thereof. sep-I
arate ballots for each party participat-
ng in the primary. And. it is right |
iere where the question of the blank |
ballot raised in your editorial arises. |
You state that because the |
party is one Of the recog-
lized parties to-day, that blank bal
OF should be provided for them. The
aw we are operating under to-day. to
which all political parties are alike