The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-11-22
II RIVER PRESS.
G

We have always advocated Il Inde-
pendence of the voter, and asserted his
right and duty to scratch OF his ticket
any man whom he believed to be un-
worthy or incompetent. -Indepe,tdent
"The independendence Of the voter
has a very attractive and patriotic ring;
but it is just such patriotism as this that
has proved the ruin of every political
party that ever figured in the history of
the United States. The principles, and
not the candidates, are what every voter
should aim to support, for candidates are
pledged to support the principles orplat-
form Of the party, and II they fail TO
carry out their contract the odium must
and will rest with them and not with
the voters who placed them in office
Record.
Without appearing to wish to join
issue with our contemporary on every
thing, we still believe that his arguments
will not hold good in all cases. The
principles and the platform Of a party
may be all right, but how well do the
people know by sad experience that plat
forms are often like the flaming adyer-
tisements Of travelling shows, made only
to catch the public fancy and seldom
lived up to. Ofthis we have had recent
instance i'll Montana. The first plank
in the democratic territorial platform
demanded q "free and in%corruptible bal
lot,' but how much figure platforms cut
in the recent election may be judged by
d glance at the returns from Custer and
M ;c.p,Io aornf-ao + nn1y fan i,ctnfaOn
on these figures from Missoula: Horse
Plains-Maginnis, 1872; Botkin, 10.
Thompson River-Maginnls, 800; Bot
kin, 80. Thompson Falls-Maginnis,
200; Botkin, @. If any sane ma can
believe thatin 200 men, hired at random,
there is not one republican to be found,
we want to hear him say SO. Or in 300
men only 30 republicans. But these
men voted for a candidate who was NOM
mated on a platform which called for a
free and i~ncorruptible ballot! Further
comment on this is unnecessary.
Again, if the voters cast their ballots
for men whom they believe to be UNI
worthy and incompetent, they must
share the odium attached to the conduct
in office of these men with the body
which placed them in nomination.
When men have proved unworthy of
the trust which has been reposed in
them, and again, by the manipulation
of nominating conventions, are put up
for the suffrages of the people, it is not
only the right but the duty of every man
| who has a true regard for the interests of
his country to scratch him. In Penn
| syIvania this view was taken by
| than 100, 900 voters, although the plat
form ana the principles which the can
didate was supposed to represent We're
all right. But the people knew that the
candidate did not really represent those
principles, but rather the ambitious
schemes Of one man, and by the exercise
of 1.-THE independence Of the voter"
they placed the seal of their disapproyal
upon these schemes, al action which is
%applauded by the entire democratic press
of the country and also by most of the
republican journals. The Record says
tits just such patiotism as this which has
proved the ruin of every political party
that has ever figured in the history Of
the United States. When any political
party undertakes to deprive the voter of
independence of thought, and seeks to
make him a mere part Of a machine
which is to be operated in the interest of
a chosen few, it deserves to go to ruin,
and always will. The United States
might better go back to the old monar-
chial system-under which the citizen
has some political rights, at least-than
attempt to control the independence of
the voter.