The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1925-02-27
Can the Primary System be Improved By ?, j. Wallace


political affiliations on the day they
register. Many people regard their
politics as they do their religion, VIZ,
something that concerns themselves
alone. They also reserve the right
to change their politics overnight,
something which the proposed law de
MES them.
THE CONVENTION PROPOSAL
The other proposal before the leg
islature is the return to the old con-
vention system. The advocates Of I
this proposal point out the glazing
defects Of the Primary system and .
The advantages of the Convention /
system. While pointing cut the ad7s
vantages Of the old convention sys- /
tenn they fail to say anything about /
the glazing defects of the old con- 4
vention system which led to its re-
lection and the adoption Of the pres /
ent system. Like the cid saloon, the
people became so Disguised with the
manipulations Of the old Convention
system that they rose up and abOl-
ished tit altogether and went to the
other extreme in electoral experiment |
tation. Like the Prohibition Law the
primary law has shown itself to be
chuck full Of defects but the people
are not going to abandon it and get
back to the old convention system,
no more than they are going to go
back to the old days of the open sa-
loon.
Where then are we to look for
remedy? This is the question that
confronts every forward looking man
in Montana today. By using the col
lective judgment of the best minds
in the state many serious difficulties
have been overcome in the past. Is
this problem of electoral reform too
complex for the best minds Of the
leading parties of the state? Of
course not.
Some system can be devised by
which the best in the Direct Primary
and the old convention plan can be
fused and made workable.
Four great states have grappled
with this problem and reported pro-
gress. A careful study Of the pres
ent elections laws of Indiana, New
York, South Dakota and Idaho will
show that considerable advances
along the road eff electoral reform
/ have been made along different lines.
In all of the foregoing states the
people advanced from the old con-
vention system to the direct primary
and then forward to what is consider
ed an improvement on both.
Perhaps the best example of pro-
gressive legislation along this line can
be found in our sister state of Idaho.
There the abuses of the unadulterat-
ed Direct Primary became so unbear-
able that there was a widespread de-
mand for reform. This demand re-
suited in the repeal of the Direct Pri-
mary Law in that State in 1919 anC
the substitution thereof cf a law that
combines the best in the Convention
system and the Direct Primary.
THE LAW
The main points of the law are
very simple. The Primary election
is held on the first Tuesday of Aug
, ust for the nomination of Distric
Judge CIR Judges, for county officer
and legislative candidates, the cleo
2 ton Of precinct committeeman ant
= delegates to attend a county cOnven
< ton County conventions of politi
D cal parties composed of delegate
: chosen at the primary election ar
Z then held in the several counties o.
e the third Tuesday of August follow
e ing the Primary election. The Coun
2 ty Conventions then organize and sc
o lect delegates to the state cOnventiO
{ propOrtiCnate to the size Of the coun
q ty, also a member of the State Ger
I trail Committee, and if so determine
o by the convention, adopt a count
= program.
The State Convention of each pol
/ tical party is then held ON the fourt
| Tuesday of August following the pr
| mary election at the State capt.;
or some central place. The Stat
| Convention shall then organize an
proceed to the adoption Of platfOr
| and the nomination of candidates fC
United States Senator and represel
tatives in Congress and candidate
for such elective state Offices as a.
to be filled at the forthcoming ele'
ton.
| This, in brief, seems TO be the be
attempt at primary reform yet III
dertaken in the United States. TIL
| it results in the selection Of q hig
type of public servant responsive
the peoples will is illustrated by Il
election of such men as Senator 30
ali, through its machinery in 1872
/ Under its provisions the people non
nate men whom they know and who
qualifications they are acquaint
with for county and legislative c
fees. They delegate the power to S
| 1eCt state officers to men of their Oy
choosing who meet the situations co
fronting them in the selection of
state ticket better than can a gre
number of people spread over a Va
expanse of territory Men so chos
would feel the weight of party j
sponsibility and would honestly {
deavor to select a ticket that wdl
. make the strongest appeal to the ell