IN THE LAST TRENCH 



and more easily controlled by the worst in- 

 fluences in American politics. But the pri- 

 mary reforms put within the power of the 

 people to choose in every party the candi- 

 dates for the succeeding election, and nothing 

 else in our political history had been so 

 salutary. The League, working through this 

 system, tried to nominate the Republican 

 candidate in Republican communities and the 

 Democratic candidate in Democratic com- 

 munities, having no partisan interest, but 

 seeking merely to get into office candidates 

 that would uphold the farmers' cause. The 

 primary, therefore, came near to being its 

 life. 



Early in 1916 it entered Montana, where 

 by the end of 1918 it had made such prog- 

 ress expert politicians foresaw that at the 

 next general election it would sweep the state. 

 Montana, because of the presence of large 

 mining and other corporations, has always 

 been unfortunate in its political condition. I 

 am speaking — as all that know the state will 

 admit — with extreme delicacy. What really 

 went on may be guessed from the fact that a 

 Montana Senator of the United States re- 

 signed in the face of most damaging charges 

 of bribery, and few state elections have been 

 without their scandals. Naturally, therefore, 

 the old political machine in Montana was 

 growing audacious, autocratic, corrupt, and 



S03 



