When proctor says to Putnam, "you cannot command Mr.Parris. We vote by name in this society, not by acreage,"he is appealing t

He is actually appealling to Parris' argument about everything and his lack of respect for the time-honored rules of this village. Parris seems to want to be in charge, but he will not abide by the rules that are already in place. He thinks they should approve of him simply because he is their minister.

He also thinks that this village is not a meritocracy, that is based on one particular quality. Both Putnam and Parris respect wealth and think that should be the trump card.