The producers news., 1924-09-26
EDWARDS TELLS
OF PARTY PLANS
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR
SAYS FARlIER-LABUR ELEC-
TORS WILL STICK.

Missoula, Sept. 20.-Frank j. Ed
wards, candidate for governor, was in
MlssOula today. Beng informed by
a representative of the Sentinel OF
rumOrs to the effect that the La Fol
lette electors on the Farmer-LabOr
ticket might withdraw IN favor of a
new set OF electors, which is cOntem-
plated, and to appear on the ballot
as Independent electors, MI. Edwards
said:
After a long delay in the consider
alton of the many uncertain legal as
poets which surround this situation,
the Farmer-LabCr convention reSOlV-
ed to enter the campaign with its own
electors and to devote to the election
of La Toilette that time that might
otherwise be devoted to inconsequen-
tial preliminaries.
"Ihe candidates of the Farmer
Labor ticket have not asked for the
Endorsement of the representatives cf
either Senator La Toilette or the c..
P. P. A. These representatives can,
if they so elect, indorse johnson,
Lord, Salisbury and Duncan as indi-
viduals and as pledged La Toilette
electors, and in addition, if these rep
resentatives so elect, they may IN
dorse only such candidates for state
Offices as may be found in the Repub-
Hcan and Democratic column of the
election ballot.
without any addition to the ballot,
every La Toilette supporter in Mon
tana may vote for the senator. Should
there be two columns of La Toilette
electors the senator can be credited
with the total of one column only. If
some one can figure out how La Fol-
lette can be a beneficiary by adopting
! this two column method, he can sure
ly obtain employment at our state
house and draw a large salary for
/ services as a mathematician.
Legal Compilations Enter.
''The legal complications involved
and which were considered and dis
cussed with view to complying with
Senator La Follette's request, and
with a view to having but one set OF
electors, were (a) Can the Farmer
Labor electors legally withdraw (b)
Can Independent electors be legally
put on the ballot?
"'In connection with the legal phases
reference may be made to- the atti-
tude of Mr.. James H. Baldwin, who
is a lawyer and the state manager
for LaFollette and Wheeler On Aug
ust Is last, Mr.. Baldwin wrote let
ter to Mr.. William Moe Of Scobey
Mont, in which, among other things
he said:
TT is just possible that the SUI
preme court will hold that La Fol
lette electors can not be put upon the
ballot fer the general election in No
vember by petition
"With nothing determined as yet
and of even greater Importance a
this late date, is the fact that tht
time for La Toilette campaigning i
exceedingly short"
"The signing of petitions for Inde
pendent electors should be discOurag
ed. Those who have signed, and VIII,
are sincerely for La Toilette shoulC
ask that their signatures be with
drawn. No person has a moral mgh
to sign such a petition who has al
ready participated in the election O
other presidential electors
In Accord With LaFOlIette.
Speaking for myself, personally,
am in accord with Mr.. La Toilette
views. I would like to see him rul
Independently in every state in tn
union. However, would La Toilette
in reality, be running independently
or at all, if he waits until, the las
hours of the campaign? Too, tn
legal complications and uncertain
ties should tend to force the conclu
sion that the latness of the hour re
quires the abandonment of independ
ent candidacy. This has already bee
done in other states where like con
ditions obtained
"It is equally true that should tn
La Toilette group yield to the appar
emily inevitable, and abandon the in
dependent idea, they would meet wit
the opposition of political forces il
this state that are more interested il
the accomplishment Of sOnetbinoo 9TH