Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-20
SPEAKERS OBJECT
To DIRECT REPEAL
Of PRIMARY LAW
Judith Basin County Voters
Name Delegates to State
Convention at Helena.
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
Windham, May 19.-B. c. White, of
Buffalo; C. w. Minor, of Windham,
and Herbert Woodward, of Hobson,
were elected delegates to the Helena
convention to consider the primary law,
at a melting of Judith Basin county
voters, held at Windham Thursday aft
ernoon. The meeting developed the
fact that considerable difference of
opinion prevailed among the voters of
Judith Basin county as to whether the
law should be repealed or left OF the
statute books with amendments.
1t was generally conceded that the
old convention system had numerous
disadvantages, chief among which were
the case with which many conventions
had been manipulated. 1t was also
declared that there are many defects
in the present primary law. MIR. White
pointed out that Maine, New York and
other states, have repealed their pri-
mary laws within recent years on ac-
count Of their having proved unsatis-
factory. He estimated that the present
Montana primary costs the state not
less than $500 600 every two years.
Unless the present law could be made
much more economical in its admins
t~ration, he said, he was in favor of its
repeal.
Oppose Old Conventions
Other speakers. among them Senator
Loren w. 10y, of Ryegate, while agree
ing that the present primary was ex-
pensive and had other faults, were not
in favor of going back to the conven-
tion system as conducted in the past.
Several speakers expressed themselves
as willing to accept the convention sys-
ten if it could be safeguarded by re-
strictiOns which would MAKE delegates
truly representative o. their districts
and prevent their being manipulated
like so many straw men after they
assemble"
All present finally united in a resolu-
ton in favor of having an amendment
of the present primary law submitted
to a vote of the people this fall. A
committee of Is was appointed, repre-
senting all shades of political senti-
ment, to take charge of the matter
and bring it before the voters in the
proper season. B. c. White was APP
pointed chairman of the committee and
given authority to call it together as
soon as he deems it advisable.
Objects to Direct Repeal
One voter present, q prominent
member of the Nonpartisan league.
stated that if the Helena convention
launched a campaign to repeal the pri-
mary law outright, that the Judith Ba-
sin county branch of the league would
Immediately organize committees in
every precinct and put up a Vigorous
fight in defense of the law. He added.
however. that if the gathering at
Helena recommended reasonable amend
ments of the law. or possibly if they
presented a constructive plan for party
conventions. with provisions for elimin-
ating the Objectionable features of the
old convention system, that the league
would likely indorse their program. He
suggested that perhaps one solution of
the question might be a combination
of the two systems, whereby the dele
gates to the conventions were elected
under a primary law which prevented
the HANDWRITING Of delegates. and did
not cost the state and counties the
enormous sums now required to be
paid out.