The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-11-01
THE LOCAL CONTEST.


before it comes we desire to say few
words to our readers about the contest
for county offices, and we wish to say it
now 50 that the intelligent voters of
Choteau may have time to ponder well
and give the matter that amount of
sober thought which it deserves, and
which it should receive.
In this matter of local offices politics
should cutlittle figure What the people
Of this or any other county should first
consider is the fitness of the different
candidates for the offices for which they
are nominated, and every American
citizen should exercise his right to
scratch" when he considers the NOM
inee of the other party the better man for
the position. This idea ofparty allegiance
is one which should not be carried into
county affairs. And yet we hear it ex-
pressed on all sides. "Vote the regular
ticket is the cry of the party managers
and professional politicians. The real
fitness of the candidates Is something
they do not care to discuss. What matter
to them if party methods have been per-
verted or conventions packed in the in
terest Of a clique What matter if the
real will of the people Or of the party
will of a few. "Vote the regular ticket"
is the doctrine they are preaching, "and
do not discuss the methods by which
that ticket was nominated" This is not
8 COED doctrine. Its un-American, and
is directly opposed to the principles of
free speech, equal rights and self-gov-
eminent on which our system is
founded. It is an attempt to stifie the
freedom of the ballot, to make the people
mere puppets in the hands Of q few; it is
q direct demand on the people of this
free country to turn over their votes,
their Judgment and their individual con-
science to the keeping Of q few-for the
benefit Of that few. It is D doctrine
which strengthens the hands of design
ing and unscrupulous managers, multi
plies the power Of the machine, and
paralyzes the very elements in q party
which are healthy and vigorous, and on
which It's usefulness necessarily depends.
The candidates may stand for none of
the principles which the conscientious
members of the party hold dear, but this
Ia not a matter for discussion. It may
be unfortunate that such is the case, but
the "dear people, must not take these
things into consideration-they' must
'vote the regular ticket" and "save the
party" They have set up their ma
chine, and all they want or ask of the
people is to set it going.
This view Of the duty of the rank and
file Of any party ignores the fact that
among the very first conditions to make
it worthy of support is that the rights OF
the members of the party shall be OBJ
served, that there shall be freedom Of
speech and action, and 8 fair and honest
organization, and that If these are found
lacking in q nominating convention
there can be no just claim for the sup
port of the ticket. There is no perpetual
allegiance to party. The pretense that
there should be is opposed to the prin-
ciples of free government, tyrannical and
absurd, and to yield to such q pretense
on the demand Of few is both weak
and foolish. OF course, in political
association every one cannot have his own
wav, but it is the right, and it is the
duty, of each individual to decide for
himself what sacrifices are really re-
quired in the interest of party" and
| where they shall cease. And election
day Is the time to exercise this right,
and perform this duty which every man
owes to himself and to the community
in which he resides. The thing which
is feared by the men who make a trade
OF politics, and who are constantly pre-
senting the party with the narrow alter
native OF supporting them or defeating
"the cause,n is an independent vote, a
vote cast deliberately and intelligently,
for the purpose of bringing about q
definite result, and not blindly for the
party candidates without reference to
results. And what the traffic-king poll
ticians most fear is something very likely
to be desirable at the present moment.
| Instead of this being season for un-
limited love-feasts and for the incon-
tinent acceptance, in perfect harmony, !"