Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-06-15
PROPOSED CONVENTION SYSTEM

The Times went on record several years ago as against the
primary election law and time has revealed nothing to change
that opinion as expressed. 1t has been given a thorough and fair
trial and practically every newspaper in the state has come out
openly for a change in the election law, the starting OF a movement
several weeks ago in Dillon by citizens of all political parties, for
the purpose of framing a referendum to do away with the evils
of the present system and which will be presented to the electors
at the coming general election, being the action which has caused
most of the newspapers of the state to take a decided stand ON the
matter. 1t is not a partisan issue and is progressive, legislation
designed to correct a very serious mistake made by the voters.
Perhaps the old convention method OF nominating Candidates was
not te-9est possible way, but II S generally acknowledged Dy
thinking cfsens as far better than the present one.
The new law which will be submitted to the voters at the
coming general election has some features of the old convention
system and some also designed to correct possible evils that
existed in the old law. The new law will provide for but one
election at public expense, a feature that will meet with the ap-
prevail of a large percent of the taxpayers, and one that will save
the state and counties many thousands of dollars each election
year. Another feature is the elimination of the pratical meth
DDS of lootng the parties; the candidates must be members OF the
parties they seek to represent, and no one can vote at the primary
meeting unless he is a member of the party holding the meeting.
At these meetings there viii be the fullest opportunity for con-
ference OF the voters and OF the4delegates TO the conventions. All
voting for candidates at the primary meetings and at the conven-
tions will be by secret ballot and no delegate or candidate can be
nominated until he has received a clear majority OF the votes cast.
The new proposed law provides for a representative democ-L
raey-the American kind. The primary precinct meeting, in
which all the voters of the party may participate, elects the dele
gates To the county convention; the county convention chooses
county candidates and also elects delegates to the state convention,
the state convention chooses the state candidates. There 5 a pos
sibiiy under this system for the office to seek the man, a condi-T1
ton practically impossible under the present system. c
There is also a great deal to be said for the proposed law from
the candidates standpont-though as a rule no one wastes much
sympathy on the man running for office. The fact that 1t cost :
Clifford Pnchot over $4,000 to secure the nomination for gov
ernor of Pennsylvania in the recent primaries is sufficient to con- r
denim the primary law forever. There is no charge against Mr.
Pnchot of using that amount Of money in his campaign as it
is clearly shown that the expense was legitimate and no doubt
his opponent spent nearly an equal amount, or would if he could Il
law, the sending of one postal card 10 each voter would amount e
to quite a tidy sum, to say nothing OF the cost of printing them e
and the clerical work enta1ed. al
The primary law Is an expensive experiment and a failure al
and should be discarded. m