The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-04-04
KNOCKING DIRECT PRIMARIES.

n
The result of the recent election 10 |
Cascade county caused much rejoicing
among opponents OF the direct primary
law. Less than oue.third Of the voters
of Cascade county went to the polls.
with the result that the adoption OF the
law was defeated. Most of the adverse
majority was secured in Great Falls,
the headquarters of Cascade county
machine politicians. Members Of
both the republican aud democratic
political machines we're against the
adoption of the law, and worked to-
gether to prevent its adoption. One
OF these men, a member of the legisla-
ture. was recently in this city and
made public boast that he and his
friends proposed to turn down direct
primaries in Cascade county. He evi.
IDENTIFY knew what he was talking
about.
The professional politicians are
using various methods to prevent the
people from nominating their public
officials by direct primaries, and it is
interesting at this time to review some
Of their clever and peculiar schemes.
Petitions for an election to vote up.
on the adoption of the direct primary
law we're circulated in Park county,
and received more than the necessary
number of signatures. They were
placed in the hands of County At.
torney II. j. Miller, of Park county,
who is an advocate of direct primaries,
but were not presented to the board Of
commissioners. Mr.. Miller explains
the matter by announcing that some
OF the petitions were stolen from his
desk, presumably by someone who
wished to defeat the proposed reform,
and the theft was discovered too late
to get sufficient signatures to new
petitions that could be presented at
the March meeting of the board.
In Teton county the necessary num-
Der of signatures to petitions was re-
ceived, the petitions being taken in
charge by Sterling Mcdonald, clerk
of the district court, but they were not
presented at the March meeting of the
Teton county commissioners. This
failure to present the petitions is ex.
planned by Mr.. Mcdonald in a public
statement which says he was requested
by some of his political friends to
hold back the petitions until the June
meeting of the board, which he con.
sented to do.
or e "little JOKER in this PROPOSE
ton Is that it prevents the direct pri.
mary law from going into effect in
Teton county for this years general
election. The Montana laws require
thirty days. notice OF an election at
which the law may be adopted, and
after the ballots r canvassed a
notice of sixty days 10 required for
holding the direct primaries. II the
law isSadopted at 40 election held in
Teton county In July. its provisions
cannot 60 into effect for the nomina.
ton of candidate ties this year.
The necessary number of signatures
to petitions vas secured In Flathead
county, but the KNOCKERS" got in
their work by delaying the presenta.
ton of these petitions until the Sep.
TENDER meeting Of the commissioners.
They urged that the matter can be
voted upon at the general election in
November, thus permitting the con.
tinuance Of the convention system this
year.
As to the situation in Silver Bow
county, where the professional politi.
clans know all the tricks in the bust.
ness, this is the statement of the Butte
Miner:
"Months ago petitions were circu.
lated In Butte calling upon the com.
missioners to submit the question Of
the adoption OF the direct primary
law to the voters of this county. To
the Miners knowledge two such petit
tons were started, and at least one OF
them was said to have sufficient sigma
lures to make it oblig atory upon the
commissioners to call q special cleo.
ton to vote on the proposition. Ac-
cording to this newspapers best in.
formation neither one of these dOcu.
ments ever found its way to the court.
house. and the fate of both of them is
involved in considerable mystery, and
no one appears to know what has be.
come Of the petitions"
The suppression of petitions was
not attempted in Chouteau county, but
there have been other methods of at.
tempting to ''knock' direct primaries
in this part Of Montana. The expense
"bugaboo' has been the favorite
weapon. \ conserv alive estimate re.
Gently made by the River Press
showed that the cost Of direct primar.
les would be too small to affect the
rate If tNvatiOn. amOnntinv IN loss