The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-01-24
WEDNESDAY MORNING. JAN. "a, 1917
TINkERINC WITH THE PRIMARY LAW


The most powerful weapon in the hands Of the
masses Of the people Of Montana is the primary
law
Owing to the control Of the legislatures in this
state. were one Of the last Of the states to secure
it. Had it not have been for the adoption Of the
constitutional amendment providing for the initiative
and the referendum. is safe to say that Montana
would yet be working under the old convention con-
trolled system.
Session after session. the control Of Montana legs-
laures was so complete that in face Of the popular
demand for the enactment Of primary law. it was
contemptuousy refused by the representatives Of
the people.
When under the provisions Of the constitutional
amendment. the bill was finally initiated, the people
Immediately ratified it by vote Of about three to
one.
The elements in Montana that never were in favor
OF the principle Of allowing the people to nominate
their own candidates have been growing and fault
finding about the primary law ever since its enact
ment.
Some OF the newspapers and politicians have so
constantly assured each other that the primary law
is failure" that they have become emboldened to
lay violent hands upon at the present session Of the
legislature
How far they will attempt to go in the matter is
yet question. If they have hypnotized themselves
into the belief that the people themselves are not
as earnestly in favor Of the primary law as they were
at the time Of its adoption two years ago. they will
have another guess coming, just soon as the peo-
pie have an opportunity to pass the question Of
the primary and the legislators who would seek to
emasculate it.
The very hopeful freedom Of expression in the
present legislature regarding revision Of the tax
laws in Montana is the direct and resultant effect
OF giving the people themselves the right to name
their candidates for public office, instead of the
old convention system Of having their candidates
chosen for them.
Had the primary law never been enacted in this
state. the present movement in the Montana legisIa-
ture Tor equitable distribution Of taxation
would have only been looked upon as huge Joke
by the representatives Of invisible government
1t Is safe guess that every sing lie member of the
present legislature. who is now opposed to re-
distribution Of the burdens OF taxation, is also op-
posed to the primary law.
Some OF the newspapers have awakened to a
realization Of the danger involved and are calling
the attention Of the public to the movement that has
been maugurated to pull the teeth" of the present
primary law.
In discussing the matter. Congressman Tom
Souts newspaper, The Lewistown Democrat
News. well says:
This paper is loath to believe that the people Of
Montana will sanction movement which has evil
IDENTITY been set on foot in Helena to abrogate or
emasculate the primary election law Such an act
would be deliberate step backward at time when
Montana is pressing forward. 1t would merely ad
vertlse to the world that Montana is unable to sus
tain the pace which she has set of political progress
and is sinking back into the ruck Of stagnation or
worse. Perhaps the primary is not the perfect form
OF political expression that some Of its mos, en-.
thusastlc sponsors predicted it would be- Our
particular law may be defective in many impo,tan,
phases but the very thought that it might be wiped
oil the statute books and the old convention system
substituted in its p ace is dishearteniug to all who
hold dear the vital principles Of self-government.
The office seeker does not like the primary be.
cause. he says. it compes him to make two cam.
paigns instead Of one. But there is no compulsion
upon anybody to run for public office There is
and them the rare case of an office seeking man
but this does not happen so often as to affect the
operation Of the general rule which is just the Other
way about. There are others who do not like the
primary because they hEe fond ityeases to manipu
late oisen'ion IL d. Rnanipuate primary
1t is eontended9hA he primary is too expensive
Perhaps so and Il is possible that amendments ma,
be suggested whereby dis expense MAY BE dLrtaied
but the cost Of the primary does not afford suf6eien