Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-21

but allows political enemies to run as
candidates and gave his opinion that if
a test case were brought and the
supreme court done its duty, the law
will be declared unconstitutional. This
will be done, he said, if the proposed
bill shall be defeated.
He presented an amendment that it
be made the duty of county commits
sioners to provide proper precinct
centers, school houses if available,
where men and women voters may
come together and discuss policies and
candidates and cast their secret ballots.
He said this plan followed the New
England system of town hall meet
ings, that the cost would be small as
compared with the cost of the present
primaries.
Authors Didn't Foresee Result
w. S. Hartman, of Gallatin county,
| said he had much to do with the pre-
paration and adoption of the present
primary law and he had been blamed
for all the evils it brought. He said the
evils of the old convention system were
what had prompted him In his work for
the present system but that the franz
ers of this law had never dreamed of
the unfortunate results it had brought
about. He said the law had some good
features in that it destroyed the old
boss. only that instead of merely de-
stroying the old boss it had resulted
in multiplying bosses.
Minority Nominees
He said that two years ago the sue
cesful republican candidate for gov
ernor obtained in the primaries only
81 per cent of the vote cast for that
office. while the successful republican
candidate for attorney general received
but Il per cent of the vote cast for
the candidate for that nomination. He
said that if it was desired merely to
provide a vehicle by which candidates
might run for office without any party
responsibility then the present Law was
a success but he felt that no man
sohuld be a candidate for governor or
other high office unless he had a party
platform upon which to stand. instead
of waiting until after his nomination
and then preparing a platform regard
less of how it might outrage public
policy.
Should Drop Old Caucus
He felt that the old party caucus
should be dropped and that instead of
holding caucuses they should be in the
nature and under the name of primary
meetings. He said he favored the pro-
posed Howell amendment and felt hat
the bill should also require the county
clerk and recorder to prepare a list
OF the qualified electors of each pre-
clnct and that only those appearing
upon the list should be permitted to
take part In the primary meeting. He
felt that if a properly guarded precinct
meeting plan could be worked out the
greatest problem would be solved, He
suggested that a committee be ap-
pointed to revise the proposed bill.
n. L. Lease, of Great Falls, favored
some of the remedies proposed by the
bill but thought it would be wise to
force the voters to take a hand in
the precinct meetings and that this
could be done by requiring them to |
cast their votes at such meetings under
pam OF oelng unable to vote at the
general election following.
Opposes Old Convention Plan
II. Z. Woodward, of Hobson. sup
ported the idea promulgated BY Mr..
Hartman but he did not favor the old
convention system and promised that
the farmers of his section were strong
ly opposed to an out and out repeal
of the old primary law. He at least
wanted to retain the primary election
plan for the selecting Of delegates to
county conventions and moved an
amendment providing for a retention
of the primary system for the election,
of delegates, but later withdrew the
Mr.. Hartman said the bill should
some provision whereby a pre-
cinct meeting could instruct its dele
gates.
Doubts Perfect Law
B. c. White was dubious as to the
possibility of drafting a law whereby
all manipulation could be prevented
and referred to the experience in New
York, where the primary law had been
amended a multitude of times and
the county primary feature was
still retained.
The Howell motion changing the,
word caucus" in the bill to primary
meetings" was adopted unanimously,
as was also a molten by J. A. Lovelace,
of Bozeman, that the chairman appoint
a committee Of even, to include two
of those who were parties to the prep
of the present draft, to revise
the bill and to report back at z p. m.
Upon this committee the chairman ap-
w. B. Hartman. T.. B. Howell,
w. M. Johnson, H. q. Woodward, B.
G. White, Frank Bliel and Joseph
The committee at the evening SEES
sion reported back the draft of the bill
a score Of amendments by which
the name precinct caucus was chang
ed to '~"prirnary meetings." provides