The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-01-11
The River Press
Published every Wednesday Morning
By the RiUer Press Publish
ing Company.
FAvoRs DIRECT PRIMARIES.

Some excellent reasons for the en-.
actment Of. . direct primary law by
the twelfth legislative assembly are
advanced by Senator Joseph NJ. Dix.
on in . recent interview. AS q bill
dealing with that subject has been in.
PRODUCED in the assembly by Senator
Everett, Of Chouteau county. the fol.
lowing statement of Mr.. Dixon's views
is of general interest:
The widespread belief among oil
classes of voters that party nomina-
tions are controlled under present
methods by great corporations and
party bosses has led the American
people to make up their minds to
change the present plan of nomination
for the more important offices. Both
of the great parties in Montana have
pledged themselves to the primary
plan of nomin ations. The danger at
this time to the enactment Of any pri-
mary legislation by the coming Mon
tana legislature is the fact that the
state senate will be in the control of
one political party, while the house
will be organized by the other party.
An effort will inevitably be made by
the enemies of direct legislation to
make the senate adopt one plan of
primary legislation and at the same
time induce the house to frame q diff
ferent primary plan. Then each house
will be encouraged to stand pat, and
partisan prejudice will be appealed to
in each house In order to prevent q
compromise and in the hope that the
session will adjourn with no primary
law enacted. Similar tactics we're
pursued in the Montana legislature
two years ago, aud l understand that
this will be the program which the
enemies of primary Legislation will at
tempt to follow at the coming session.
I hope that the real friends of primary
legislation in Montana will not az ain
be caught in the came trap.
Zone of the best arguments for the
enactment OF q primary law is the
stu alton which now confronts the
Montana legislature in the election OF
q United States senator. II the re-
publican and democratic conventions
in September had declared themselves
on the mater of q senator, the coming
session Of the Legislature would be at
liberty to devote it's entire attention
to the enactment of general legisla-
ton for the benefit Of the state instead
of ~frittering away q large portion Of
the session in trying to determine who
will be the next federal senator from
Montana.
"1n the matter of the sen atorship,
the individual voters of the state have
the same right to know when they cast
their ballots for members of the legis-
lature for whom they are voting for
senator as they have to know for
whom they are voting for president
when they cast their ballots for presi.
DENTAL electors. No man who is q
candidate for nomination for any of.
fee at the hands OF the voters of his
own political faith should be fraid to
submit his candida to the determine
ton of the majority vote of his own
party. OF course, no primary law
that can be enacted will be perfect in
all its features, but l sincerely hope
the Montana legislature will Q Iact
some kind of primary law. II In prac.
tice 1t should be found defective it is
always subject to amendment by sue.
ceeding legislatures"