Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-30
THE NEW PRIMARY LAW.

THE NEW PRIMARY LAW.
"A COPY of the proposed new
primary law lies before US. 1t
is proposed to initiate it at the next
election and petitions to that effect
are being circulated or will shortly
be circulated. While it is not strict
ly correct to say that the bill re-
peals the present primary election
law and substitutes the old caucus
and convention system for the max
ing of political nominations, that
is so near the general purport of
the proposed legislation that we
will let the statement stand, rather
than fill space with a discussion
of the points of difference. 1t is
sufficient to say that these center
mostly around the fact that tech
nically the primary is preserved
under the official sanction of law,
but its functions are exercised
through elected delegates rather
than directly, and these delegates
act through a convention. 1t is
practically a return to the old sys-
tenn of conventions of the several
parties to nominate candidates.
The Tribune has SO often and so
emphatically expressed its condem-
nation of the present primary law
and the evil effects that flow from
it, that it seems hardly necessary
for us to say at this time that we
highly approve of the initiation of
this bill, and hope that it will be
Endorsed by a majority vote of the
people at the text election. In
giving expression to such view it
may add to the weight of such
statement to say that this news-
paper supported the present pri-
mary law when it was initiated
some years ago, and its editor
voted for it. 1t is not pleasing to
our pride Or reputation for sound
political thinking to make such a
confession, but it may serve to add
to the conviction of our sincerity
now, when we state that it has
exaggerated all the evils of the on
vention system it purported to cure.
degraded the average of morality
and intelligence in public servants,
and cost the taxpayers a heap OF
money that could be saved.
1t is one of those so-called re-
forms that help to increase taxes
and makes public morals worse at
one and the same time. Inasmuch
as we ignorantly helped to foist
this fake reform on the citizens of
the state, we certainly feel that it
is our duty to do all in our power
to help to remove it from the sta
ute books.
That task, however, is up to the
voters of the state. They will have
a referendum vote on it. They had
such a vote once before on a pro-
posed amendment designed to pre-
vent one party from voting in a
party to which they did not belong,
and whose candidates they did not
intend to support at the election.
The amendment was defeated at
that time largely by the efforts of
the Nonpartisan league leaders
whose plans contemplated the raid
ing of republican or democratic
party primaries for their W pur-
poses. Radicals generally will be
opposed to the change, because the
present primary law a be easily
used for political i%ntrigues, and to
cloak their purposes under some
honored party name
This movement to 60 back to the
delegate convention system is made
under the auspices Of the nonpar-
tisan committee. 1t was urged at
one time that it be taken up as a
bipartisan measure, but we think
the present non-partisan backing is
better. All parties have felt the
evil Of the present primary law at
times. 1t is a party wrecker. But
r,farsbeyond the bad effect it has on
! party organizations are the bad
effects it has had on the public in
tsrest. It is therefore most suit
able that it should come before the
people for a referendum vote as
purely non.partisan movement.
THE WAGES OF LABOR.