The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-02-22
FOR DIRECT

give to the people the power to DOmin.
ate candid ates for public Office at pri.
mary elections in each precinct, a
most important change from the pres
ent convention method, under which
nomin atoms are sometimes secured by
trading votes and other questionable
practices.
The direct primary proposition, how.
ever, is apparently not receiving much
attention from those who promised to
enact such a law. The only measure
relating to the subject that has re.
ceived mention in newspaper reports
of legislative proceedings, is a bill in.
PRODUCED some weeks ago by Sen ator
Ralston, of Teton county. and which,
it is alleged, is being held back by
the committee to which it was referred.
The provisions Of this proposed direct
primary law are said to be substan-
TALLY as follows:
The bill establishes the September
primary, which is to be held at the regu.
lar precinct polling places on the first
Tuesday in.September, 1906, and bien.
nially thereafter, for the nomina alton
of candid tes TO be voted for at the
November election, except state Off.
GERS and members of congress-. ANY
primary other,than the September pri.
the election for which it is held.
Sixty days before the September
primary the secretary of state shall
send to each county clerk a notice des.
ignating the Offices for which candi-
dates are to be nominated at the pri'
mary, and not less than 10 days later
the clerk shall publish SO much OF the
notice as is applicable to his county.
In case of city elections, the city clerk
shall make publication of the notice,
not more than 20 and not less than 10
days before the primary.
The state committeeman of each
county, representing each political
party, must file 30 days before the pri-
mary at which delegates to a state
| COlV VI ! puAU " i ~ VIC ~
ted, Il nomination paper designating
the names to be placed on the ballot
naming three times as many as are
to be chosen, one-third to be elected
as delegates and one-third as alter
mates.
Nominations for county offices and
legislators to be voted on at the pri.
mary are to be made 30 days prior to
the primary by nomination papers.
These papers shall be signed: If for
district Judge or q county Office, by at
least three per cent Of the party vote
in at least one-sixth of the election
precincts of the county, and in the ag'
gregate not less than three per cent O
the total vote of the party in the iu'
: dicial district or county. The basis
: of percentage in each case shall be the
, vote Of the party for the presidential
, %elector receiving the largest vote a
the last proceeding presidential cleo
. ton
The county commissioners are to ap
: point judges who are to serve at boil
t primary and general elections. Tn
, polls of the primary shall be open il
. cities from noon to . o'clock at nigh
and in all other precincts from
o'clock p. M. to ) o'clock p. NJ.
On the official ballot the names q
g candidates for delegates to the stat
/ convention shall appear first, follows
by the names of candidates for tn
o various offices in alphabetical order
The delegates elected to a state cor
+ vention shall not exceed $50, repre-
sentation o be apportioned to tn
counties by the state committee in pre-
portion to the vote cast by the part
for representative in congress at tn
last general election. The chairma
of the state central committee must fiji
with the county clerk Il certiticat
showing the number of delegates
which that particular county is Ell
titled.
III Canvass Of the primary turns
to be made on the Friday followin
the primary, being made by the com
:! ty board of canvassers. and the r.
turns are to be certified to the sta
board, which is to meet or the thir
Tuesday Of September. The canva.
of the returns of a city primary are
be made by the mayor, city clerk AZ
III treasurer, this canvass to be maze c
Is the day following the primary.
a..