The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1912-03-11

It Is astounding that men should ven
ihrc ~ take such position and IL
shows that the men and those for
whom they speak and whom they rep
resented have wandered far, indeed.
from the ground held by Abraham Lin
rnln whom he declared this 10 be d gov
ernmrnt dedicated to the welfare OF
the common people and 10 be managed
justly aud honestly and honorably by
the plnin people for their own welfare
in accordance with the lmmutahe laws
of righteousness
our opponents take the view that
this contest is merely Il game. that the
object IF the contest Is TO win prizes
for the contestants ana that the pub
lie office Il tho reward that goes 10
the winners or the game, and that.
therefore Il IL a piece of allowable
smartncss TO refuse TO make changes in
The laws in the progress OF the con-
test, N these changes would deprive the
captains W. tho political world OF ad-
vantage they now hold over the plain
people.
The Issue.
IN short, the issue may be stated
as follows Should election laws be
framed WITH view to the interests OF
politicians or should election laws be
framed with n view to CARRYING out
the popular VIII" We have ON the one
hand Mr Mckinley and MIR. Campbell
and the rctetinnury element for whom
they stand, an element which has made
l. evident that they prefer 20 see the
republican party ruined rather than to
Nec II agnin what IL was I'm the DAYS
~ Lincoln, ana on tho other hand
those who believe that the republican
party can and shall be made now what
II was under Lincon-a great lnstrr-
mcnt for the achievement of righteous
ness through tho rule of the plain
people.
We regard the present contest not
as a contest, between individuals-ror
we are not concerned with tho welfare
of any particular individual, neither
with mine nor with that of any other
man-but AZ "A contest between these
two radically different Views of tho
function of politics In great de-
morracy
Therefore, wc demand that states
Ike Illinois. Michigan, New York.
Massachusetts be given the chance :,
express their preference in presidential
primaries ~ 10 whom they wish for
president, Practically tho entire body
Of professional politicians IL pitted
against us in this contest and I'm every
stute and in every congressional dis
hict they are led by the officeholders
nho with their example before them OF
what waH done in connection with the
nominations for local officers In North
Carolina are working as we have
rarely seen them work in American
politics Against such forces II is In
nny event difficult enough for the or
dnlry plain citizens who have only
tho general welfare in hand, to win.
But IL becomes wollnigh impossible for
these plain citizens to give expression
to the popular will when there Is no
popular primary.
Here ia New York the machine for
the two parties co-operatcd to draw UP
Il primary law which imposed on the
people a system so cumbersome, SO in
yolyed as 10 make II impossible to get
a fair expression Of public sentiment
and very difficult to get any expression
Of public sentiment at all The pres
ent primary law In New York Is ad-
mirably adapted To achieve its pur-
pose for It's purpose ia to prevent the
people from controlling the party or
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