The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-11-20
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20, 1912.
FAVOR DIRECT PRIMARIES.

While the voters OF ChOuteau coun-
~ we're nearly evenly divided In their
views as to the merits of rival candt'
dates for some OF the public Offices,
they appear to be practically unani-
NOUS in the opinion that the direct
primary system is q good thing. The
Chouteau county vote upon the initia.
tive measure providing for direct
primaries shows l,024 In It's favor.
and only l37 against. Nearly 80 per
cent OF the voters in Chouteau county
recorded their preference for the direct
primary plan of nominating candi'
dates for public Office.
Adv ices from other parts Of Mon
tana report majorities OF various pro.
portions in favor of the iniative meas.
ure relating to direct primaries, and
1t has undoubtedly carried. The peo-
ple have enacted q law which Mon.
tana legislative assemblies have re.
peatedly failed to give them.
The general working Of this new law
is described by a member of the Peo'
ple's Power League as follows:
As an illustr alton, take John Doe.
aspirant for the nomination for sheriff
on the republican ticket at the next
election in the fall of 1914. Mr.. Doe
first circulated among his friends q
petition asking to have his name
placed On the primary ballot as q
candidate for nomination by the re.
publican party for the Office of sheriff.
The petition must be signed by at
least two per cent OF the total vote in
the county cast for the republican can
dida for congress, and n or more
signers must be obtained from one.
fifth of the precincts in the county.
Mr.. Doe must file his petition with the
county clerk and register not later
than August 9, 1914.
All other aspirants for the nomina-
ton for the Office of sheriff on the re-
publican ticket and all aspirants for
nomination for the Office of sheriff on
the other party tickets must file their
petitions in the same way.
On Augusta9, the county clerk and
recorder orders the primary ballots
printed. He prints a separate ballot
for each political party. On the re-
publican party ballot, in the proper
place. he will print, in alphabetical
order, the names of John Doe and all
other aspirants for the republican
nomination for the Office OF sheriff.
OntAugust "a the primary election
will be held lat the regular polling
place in each precinct in the county,
with judges, clerks and all the ma
chinery of any regular election. Only
registeredtvoters q vote at the pri.
mary. When an elector presents him.
self to vote, the judges and clerks Ars,
ascertain If he is registered and check
his name In the poll books. Then he
is handed four ballots, which are
boundltogether with q brass clip-one
each of the republican, the democratic
the socialist and the progressive party
Each ballot of course contains Q com
plete list of all aspirants for each o
the separate Offices of one politica
party. After the voter goes into tn
booth he selects one of the four ballot
as his party ballot and detaches l
from the.bunch. II he is q republican
he will:ldetach the republican part
ballot, and will vote on the detache,
ballot for his choice among the vari
Gus candidates for each of the Office
from the printed list.
When he comes down to the Office c
sheriff he will find grouped togethe
the name of John Doe and the name
of others who have filed petition
seeking the nomination for sheriff o
the republican ticket, and he will vol
his choice among the ~aspirsnts for tt
Office of sheriff. However, he is n,
limited to the list of printed name
but, as In other elections, he ma
write in q name. If be wishes to vo'
for q person whose name appear
on one of the other three ballots /
must write 1t On the republican bsllo
but the vote cannot be added to Il
total votes obtained by that candida
on the other ballot.
When the voter comes out of Il
booth he deposits the three unuse
ballots in o separate box, known {
the blank ballot box; and deposits
the regular ballot box the ballot
has detached and marked.
The ballots are counted and retur
made In the regular way, and q
c"r sssed by the county clerk az
..--,der, assisted by two justices
tie peace, whom he selects from di
ferent political parties. The republ
Csn candida u for sheriff receiving Il