The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-11-25
WEDNESDAY, NOV. %, 1908.
THE INDEPENDENT VOTER.

One of the lessons taught by the
result of the recent election Is that a
large number of Montana voters do
not consider a political endorsement
as sufficient to Justify the election of
q candidate for state Or county Office.
They concluded that a candid ate's
views upon political questions are
moi of SO much Importance as his
ability to give satisfactory service in
the public Office to which he aspires.
That q large number of Montana
voters take this view of the matter is
apparent in the vote cast for presi.
Dental electors, representative in
congress and state officers. The OIL.
cial returns show a republican ma
jority of about 5000 for president,
and nearly $500 for congressman, but
in marking their ballots for governor
a large percentage of the voters
pressed a preference for the demo-
cratic nominee, who was elected by a
plurality of about 1,4O0. For other
republican candidates on the state
ticket the official returns show ma.
j~orities ranging from 1900 to 5000,
the latter being received by the re-
publican candidate for state auditor.
Similar conditions appear in the
vote for county officers, the local
popularity or efficiency of the candi.
dates having more influence with the
voters than their political affiliations.
In this county and other localities a
large proportion of the voters decline
to be controlled by party lines in ex.
pressing their choice between candi.
dates for an Office that is Of q non.
political nature. This spirit of in
dependence among the voters is being
made manifest in all parts Of the
country, and suggests the Importance
OF nominating only the very best men
that each party al present to the
electorate.
In discussing this feature of the
election returns in Custer county, the
Yellowstone Journal makes this com.
ment:
The state of mind of the average
voter, as revealed by the official can
vass, is quite discouraging to party
movement. 1t indicates that in mat
ters purely local, party lines are
largely disregarded and support
given regardless of the favored ones
attitude on the tariff, on currency re-
form, on bank deposit guarantees, or
ven OF the independence of the much.
abused Filipinos.
Some fews republicans on the list
actually suffered defeat in this repub-
lican county Of Custer, with q margin
of four hundred to 90 IN. But the
results show that the party cannot dc.
pend upon this margin unless it puts
up a ticket that commends itself to the
voter, and this comment does not
mean that there was anything objec.
tionable or to be condemned on the
republican ticket, but that in spots it
was not as acceptable to the voters as
the democratic ticket.
There was this condition existing in
the recent campaign. The republicans
who were on the ticket, mostly pro.
cured their own nomination by activi-
~ at the primaries, encouraged to
that activity by the apparent certainty
of election II the nomination was sc.
cured. The opposition-who in the
past have seemed to be as thoroughly
cowed by republican supremacy as
the dominant side were elated-were
this time buoyed up and encouraged
by a ''hunch' that this was the time
to win. Impressed with this feeling
they got together and held u real con-
Notwithstanding entirely new for
them-aud put up Il ticket that vas
absolutely safe from adverse comment.
With this ticket and this infusion of
confidence they went before the voters
aggressively and in some Instances
conducted a vigorous campaign. For
their labor the candidates secured
more than their party's share of the
new vote and some of them landed.