The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-01-30
Little Surprise Evinced at
Decision Of Judge Poor1nan
Just What Was Expected

AS the result of suit brought by
an attorney employed by the Anacon-
ia Copper Company to restrain Sec
retary of State Stewart from &C.
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 The TOPi . -
The secretary of state, through At
torney General Ford has taken an ap7
peal to the supreme court, and 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;
big help toward preventing majority
People. Not Diaheartened. Il
Great confidence. is expressed, )
however, that the supreme court
of the state will not permit the
primary law, initiated by the peo-
pie Of the state, and adopted BY :
= vote of approximately 50,Om y,
for to but 12,600 a9ainst it in II
!: 1912, to thus be- destroyed. +.
:; The excuse upon which the fight
is based is: that the reactionary leg:
islature attached an Emergency
clause" to the bills killing the. presi-:
Dental primary and killing the closed.
primary. It is admitted, even by the
enemies Of the primary law, that the
only emergency" that existed threat:
ening the ''peace and safety Of the
state is. the peace of: the ''sta&e o.
mind'' of the big interests of Mon:
tana who fear that if the primaryS
law, adopted by the overwhelming,
vote Of the people, is not knocked out;;ss
majority rule may come to pass in
Montana. ID
All Eyes on Helena ~
From now until the decision of the
supreme court is handed down, every
eye in the state will be turned to-
ward that body. The progressive,
forward looking people of the state
hope for and confidently expect de-
cision holding that no emergency ex-
listed. To decide otherwise will in
reality mean that a handful of poll
ticians in the legislature can defy and
ignore tremendous majority of the
people of Montana-5O,0O who voted
for the law when it was adopted in
l912-and pass at the dictation of a
group Of professional lobbyists vicious
legislation which the people cannot
refer.
If the people of Montana had
a chance to vote on the open pri-
mary law today, it would be sus-
tanned by an overwhelming ma
jority.
This is plainly shown by the fact
that with no paid canvassers nearly
10000 names are attached to refer
endum petitions now on file in the
office of the secretary of State at
Helena, several thousand who signed
we're not counted because they had
lot registered, and thousands of peti-
ions are still out, but will be filed
ater together with the petitions be-,
ng circulated to initiate the work. |
mems compensation act.
Petitions will continue to be cir
ulated till $4,000 signatures have |
'een obtained, but after enough had |
|een secured to make the referendum |
'alid effort to hurry the work was
elaxed.
The drive for signatures was made !
n November, when the weather was
cry bad and roads impossible, with
thousands Of dry land farmers awayi
rom home earning money to support ?
heir families. Thousands had not
hese will eventually sign the petis1
ions, making the 10000 goal COM |;
'aratively easy of attainment. 1,
The Appeal in the Injunction Case |;
gai4st Secretary of State StewaxtAA, |,
revent the Secretary of State 1fom
ling the petitions referring the ;Spe;;a
ial Session Law, .rspeahng the Pn- n