The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-01-30

dill dttOlIICy CuAplOyCO Wy Vic @AAAesIoAA
da Copper Company to restrain Sec
retary Of State Stewart from ac-
cepting the petitions which have been
pouring in to save the primary laws,
Judge Poorman issued an injunction
to that effect.
But the mandate, Of the Helena
Judge was not served on Secretary
Stewart until enough petitions had
been filed from 26 counties Of the
state AND THE OFFICIAL AN
NOUNCEMENT HAD BEEN MADE
THAT THE REFERENDUM WAS
OVER TIE TOP! ,...=.
The secretary Of state, through At
torney General Ford has taken an ap-.
peal to the supreme court, and a de-;
cision is expected at an early date.
The decision Of Judge Poorman did
not come as any surprise but has.
been hailed by every reactionary pa
per in the state with loud acclaim as
a big help toward preventing majority
rule IN Montana. 81
People Not Disheartened.
Great confidence pis expressed, .;
howcver, that the supreme court
Of the state win not permit the /
primary law, initiated BY the peo-
Pile Of the state, and adopted ny i
/ 4 vote Of approximately 60,0oO !
+ for to but II, ,0O0 against Il IN
1912, to thus be destroyed.
The excuse upon which the tighf
| is based is that the reactlonary leg
lislature attached an emergency
clause" to the bills killing the prest..
Idential primary and Hling the closed
prmary. It is admit ted, even. by the
lenemies Of the primary law, that the
only 1semergencY'' that existed threat
ieninr the "peace and safety Of the
staten is the peace Of the state q
Imitld" Of the big interests OF Mon
ttana who fear that II the primary
.IIaw, adopted hY tie overwhelming
vote Of the pe0ple, is not knocked out,
majority rule may come TO pass =
Montana.
All Eyes on Hell. na =.
From now until the decision OF the
[snnreme cotart is handed down, every
eve in the state will be turned To-
ward tlat body. The progressive
i forward looking people of the STATE
hone for and confidently expect a de.
Ecision holding that no emergency ex-
listed. To decide otherwise will u
4 reality mean that handful of poll.
ticians in the legislature can DEFY ane
ignore q tremendous majority OF t1e
neonle of Montana sc, 900 who votec
For the law when it was adopted II
1g12-and pass at the dictation OF
prol1p Of professional lobbyists viclou:
lepis1ation which the people canno'
refer. -,
B If the people of Montana had
II a chance to vote ON the open prl-
may law today, 1t would be sls-
i tanned by an overwhelming ma
This is plainly shown by the FAC
that with no paid canvassers neaTls
10000 names are attached 10 TelSi
endum petitions now on ME III III
Office Of the secretary Of State g
Helena. several thousand who slgnet
were not counted because they has
MT registered, and thousands OF peu
tinns are still out, but will be fl!et
later together with the petitions De
inr circulated to initiate the Work
mems COMPENSATION act.
Petitions will continue to be CIR
cnlated Till $1,000 signatures nav
heen obtained, but after enough haa
heen secnred to make the referendum
valid effort to hurry the work wa
[Irelaxed.
The drive for signatures was mad
s. Nouenber. when the weather wa
ve,v bad and roads impassable, W.T.
fsonsands of dry lad farmers ava!
/ frnfn home earning money 70 supper
fhcir Families. Thousands had no
! fhes,e will eventually sign the pei