Montana loses one. Good

Montana loses one. Good

Editorial • 10/02/03

One of life's earliest lessons is that you win some, and you lose some.

Fortunately for Montana, it lost one this week.

New Hampshire's win is Montana's gain.

New Hampshire, whose motto is "Live Free or Die, was revealed as the first choice of a group of libertarians nationwide that has been conducting a well-publicized hunt for a state with a low population to which it can move and start getting rid of a bunch of pesky laws.

The Free State Project's 5,000 members already have pledged to move to the state of choice, and they hope to attract a total of 20,000 libertarians within two years. They think that's enough of a critical mass of voters to transform it into a model of small government, few laws, and unfettered individual liberty.

The project made news here when Montana was mentioned as a likely target. After all, a state made famous by the Freemen had to be fertile ground for the freedom the members seek, like ending government restrictions on such things as gambling and other "vices," and making sure that civil authorities are basically limited to keeping the peace.

As it turns out, Montana came in third in the voting, right behind Wyoming. We beat out Idaho, Alaska, Maine, Vermont, Delaware, South Dakota and North Dakota.

But as much as we're pleased to lose, there is one lingering concern. New Hampshire, after all, is the state that holds the influential first presidential primary every four years. Uh, oh.

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