The People's Voice

Killing By Amending

A bill to amend, but not to repeal the state primary law is due to make its appearance in the Montana senate within the next few days. The measure is to be offered by Toomey of Lewis and Clark, author of one bill for outright repeal and another to amend the primary law introduced in the 1941 session, both being defeated.

The bill to amend the primary law which is on the platter at this session proposes according to information received, that after the filings for nominations for political offices are all in, county and state conventions are to be held by the political parties. These conventions would then select certain candidates and endorse them, leaving the others on the respective tickets without any organization support. The effect would be as it appears, to "read them out of the party." It is interesting to speculate on the effect a program such as this would have on the parties themselves. Would these aspirants for political office still remain loyal to the party if the high command decided that they were not the kind of material which the party should have, or would they renounce the leadership of the party and the party itself?

Of course the final result, if a measure such as is proposed should become law, would be the same as if the primary law did not exist. The candidates would be selected by the party hacks on a basis of their amenability to party dictation and this dictation would of course be promulgated by the politicians. Democracy would not enter into the picture at all.

We hope that no one will construe our speculation about the effect on the parties themselves, as concern over that feature. We are only wondering if the party hacks have thought this thing through. We doubt it. They are thinking only how easily the support of the parties can be secured for the favored stooge. He will, of course, file with the understanding that he has the blessings of his party organization, and will be endorsed by the convention. Any other possibility is unthinkable. To be sure, the proponents of this measure will probably paint a glowing picture of a convention of the party members attended by delegates with open minds who will carefully evaluate the fitness of the candidates for the positions to be filled and endorse the best qualified. Perhaps the proponents even place their estimate of the degree of the intelligence of the Montana citizens so low that they think this kind of talk will be believed by the voters. If they think so, we believe that they are wrong. Moreover, we believe that the great majority of Montana citizens prefer to select their own candidates for office and do not feel that they need the advice, inspired by selfish political considerations, of the party stooges.

The bill to repeal the primary law was defeated by a vote of 62 to 33 in the 1941 session, and we believe that it will be just as definitely defeated this time. However, it might be well to let your representative hear from you about it. And watch how he votes on it.