The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-03-19
The "Box Score"

We print in this issue the voting record of the
members of the house of representatives and the
senate in the recently ended assembly
The votes on six measures in the lower house
and four in the senate have been selected as best
indicating the general attitude of the members on
questions of the greatest good to the greatest num-
ber and issues of vital interest to and just con-
sideraton for the needs of weak minority groups.
Two of the selected for the voting record
of senators were measures backed by powerful in
teress interested in them purely selfish grounds
without giving any consideration to the best interests
of the people of the state.
The selection of these measures, in both the house
and the senate has been made because in no single
instance can the member claim that he was not
aware of the implications and intent of any of them
In each case the measures debated and ex
planned and the individual member went on record
with full knowledge concerning them. Ii in the
minds of the individual members constituency, he
voted wrong on any of them, his only for
voting as he did, is that his vote represents his in
dividual conviction the issue. His constituents
must then decide if they think he represented HIS
interests OR THEIR interests.
In the lower house it will be found that 27 scored
zero and Is in the senate scored the same. The
record of these reactonaries would no doubt have
been improved by the addition of other, less conse-
quentiaf measures. Many of these members have
served before and have established records as bad
as this one The fact that they have been returned
to repeat their abors behalf of the corporate in
two things. Either their constituents do not make
any effort to inform themselves concerning the att
tude of their representative, his actions must
meet with their approval. However, if the latter
be the case, then they overlooking their respon
sibity toward society," toward their fellow citizens
in other parts of the state, affected by their own
and their representative reactionary attitude.
The percentages have been computed on the basis
of the number Of times the member voted right
when present to vote. When absent, an "X is car
rIed instead of an "A or "N,' While it is common
enough practice the part of members to
deliberately absent themselves when contro-
versial vote is in the offing, do not presume to
Judge if the absense unavoidable deliberate
Thus if person absent of the votes in
the lower house he is scored on how he voted the
other five only. If he voted right out of the
five he is scored 1000 right If he voted right
five times out Of five he is scored 1907, the same
as the man who voted right six times out of six
Absences must be noted to avoid confusion. In
the case mentioned above if the member voted right
once out of five times he is scored 20%. Another
member may have been present to vote only four
times out of the six. If he voted right out of
the four times he is scored rs %. The evaluation
of the vote of any such member must be based on
the measure which the vote recorded in each
instance Actually it is doubt true that the at
titude of two such members parallel; thinks as
the other thinks and probably each of them are in
fluenced by similar motives.