The Montana nonpartisan. [volume], February 01, 1919, Image 1

About The Montana nonpartisan. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1918-192?

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
Official Publication oi the National Nonpartisan League in the State of Montana
THE MONTANA NONPARTISAN
VOLUME , GREAT FALIS. MONTANA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1919 NUMBER 4.
. . .... .. . .. . . . .. . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . ... . ... .. . . . . . ... .N U M B ER.. ..... . . . .
LEAGUE-L.. ?R NIGHT TREMENDOUS SUCCESS
NORTH DAKOTA'S
NEW LAWS NOW
ARE IN EFFECT
Farmer Revolutieo Completed Yes
terday Afternoon at 5:20 When
Governor Signed Last Bill.
(From Courier News)
(By C. K. Gummerson)
Bismarck, Jan. 20.-With the ut
most simplicity the seven constitu
tional amendments initiated by the
people and adopted by them at the 1
last election were made a part of the
organic law of North Dakota this af
ternoon when Speaker L. L. Stair of
the house, Lieutenant Governor How
ard Wood, president of the senate and
Goevrnor Lynn J. Frazier signed the
engrossed documents.
Speaker Stair affixed his signature
to House Bill No. 6, the first of the
amendments, at exactly 2:10 p. m. in
the presence of the house. The only
indication that anything out of the
ordinary was about to take place was
the usual announcement made by
Chief Clerk George A. Totten, who
said: "The speaker is about to sign
House Bill No. 6." As Speaker Stair
picked up his pen and signed his name
a broad grin spread across his face.
He completed the signing of the last
amendment at 2:14 p. m.
Although still suffering from a bad fi
cold and the symptoms of a light at- e
tack of flu, Speaker Stair made the le
trip to the capitol expressly for the so
purpose of signing the seven mea
sures. Talking to a group of legisla
tors just before the house convened at
2 o'clock, Mr. Stair said:* "I'm de- pl
termined to sign those amendments it
today if it's the last thing I do in this t
world. After I get my 'John Han
cock' on them all, I'm going to go
right back to the hotel and go to bed th
and stay there until I get well." I
Governor Completes the Task M,
The measures were then taken over
to the senate for Lieutenant Govern
or Wood's signature. There, as in the
house, the signing of the important m
documents was without ostentation.
Lieutenant Governor Wood finished
with the bills at 2:45 p. m., and then be
had them delivered to Governor Fraz- di
ier's office at 2:50 p. m. Governor in
Frazier was put of his office and did cu
not return until after 4 o'clock. Im-. c
mediately upon his return he read fo
each of the engrossed bills, compar- s5
ed them with the original and then th
signed his name at 5:20 p. m. He th
finished by placing his name to the se
public ownership amendment, which of
is perhaps the most important one of as
the lot. It gives the people the op- se
portunity to erect the state-owned tr
terminal elevators and flour mills at
they have been fighting for for the wJ
last two decades. w
The farmer- governor's characteris- r
tic smile was very much in evidence th
when he finished with the last amend- he
ment.
"Well ,it's all over with now," he
remarked as he rose from his desk. ed
to
F.
NONPARTISAN :
WOMEN BUSY i
. Nonpartisan league women are not
idle around Bismarck. Nearly every
session of the League caucus has
been attended by a number of farm
ers. wives.
A Nonpartisan Women's club has
also been organized in Bismarck. It
is making plans to extend its organ
ization throughout the state. Offi
cers have been elected as follows:
President, Miss Aldyth Ward; sec
retary, Mrs. John B. Brown; treasur
er, Mrs. O. B. Lund; chairman of vis
iting committee, Mrs. John N. Hagan.
Miss Ward is herself the owner of
a Kidder county farm and the sister
of a well known farmer. She was ap
pointed by Governor Frazier as chair
man of the state welfare commission.
But the new organization plans to
do more than give teas. Miss Ward,
who is chairman of the committee on
legislation, says that the Nonpartisan
women have several bills on welfare
and social legislation which the or
ganization will support during the
session.
JUST THICK-HEADED FOR
WAGES
Some people are unable to under
stand the difference between a house
that is privately used and the school
house that is publicly used. A gar
den path to the street door of a pri
vate residence and a great state high
way or an automobile for family use
and a standard train for natiorial use.
But then such people understand noth
ing that is not doped out for them by
their masters.
SPITE jF GANG OPPOSITION DUNN, MILLS, MARTIN
AND KENNEDY SPEAK TO CAPACITY HOUSE
Commercial Club efforts to stop meeting fall flat. Gang rule
dead for ever.
Price of hall rent raised in three minutes. Speakers stand in hail-storm of money.
Every sentiment of orators cheered to echo. Sad day for copper crowd autocrats.
"If this short sighted stupid t
commercial club after having t
promised the Equity $250.00 to- S
ward the expenses of this Co-op
erative Congress now withdraw
it because the last evening of c
the convention was extended to
the Nonpartisan league and or- 1
ganized labor then we shall have
to take these great gatherings to
some other city in the state:
Thus R. B. Martin in making an
appeal to the tremendous -au
dience which packed the Palace
Theatre on Friday night, Jan.
24, to listen to the representa
tives of the League and labor.
That this hint was well taken
by the powers that be in Great
Falls is clearly demonstrated by
the capitulation of the kept
press, who devoted five columns
of clear and unbiased statement
of a gathering of workers and
farmers for the first time in
the history of the morning pa
per's career.
Rumors of Violence.
For many days before the meet
ing ugly rumors had persistently
circulated to the effect that the
meeting would be broken up by vio
lent disorder and that the returned
soldiers would be used for this pur
pose and it was further intimated
that the Commercial Club and Em
ployers Association stood behind this
move which must have resulted, had
it occurred, in forever blackening
the reputation which Great Falls has
earned for being one of the most
hospitable and level-headed cities in
the state of Montana. The agents of
disorder were doomed to disappoint
ment however because the temper of
the audience and the enthusiasm
displayed was sufficient warning
that there would be no tolerance of
mobster autocracy.
The Soldiers and Sailors.
Although tremendous efforts had
been made to keep the returning sol
diers from participating in the meet
ing, a large number voluntarily oc
cupied the platform amongst whom
could be noted smart officers uni
forms and it must have been a sad
surprise to those who had calculated
that soldiers were not men to see
the khaki of the United States land
service blending with -the navy blue
of our sea fighters. One of these
salts who had helped to convoy five
separate armadas of United States
troops safely to France, remarled
at the end of the meeting that "al
ways and everywhere would those
who had actually participated in the
grim struggle with German Auto.c
racy be found actively assisting in
the destruction of autocracy at
home."
Labor Takes a Hand.
The Equity Society having extend
ed the it citation to organized labor
to participate on Friday evening, W.
F. Dunn, representative from Silver
Bow county, was invited to address
the meeting and it was around this
fact that the threats of disturbance
centered. Mr. Dunn is thoroly hat
ed by all the reactionary gang who
do the bidding of the Copper Com
pany and has three or four times
been compelled to defend himself
against their assaults upon his per
son in Butte. He has at various
times literally carried his life in his
hands while fighting for the miners
and their, wives who dig the millions
of dollars out of the hills of Butte
which go to make the beautiful pal
aces, the steam yachts and the mon
key dinners of the multi-millionaires
who live far away from the misery of
that great sulphur blasted mining
camp crouching down below the
pure snow covered high hills.
It had been said in the pool rooms
and barber shops that Mr. Dunn
would be subject to bodily harm if
he criticised the government. Or
ganized labor of Great Falls and the
organized farmers of Montana to
gether with a large number of re
turned soldiers and sailors were of
the opposite opinion and the Cas
cade Trades and Labor Assembly
came to the conclusion that if De
I mocracy was to grow and flourish, it
rested upon the right of any citizen
anywhere too openly criticize and
discuss an act or ruling or law which
their elected representatives, both
in the state and national capitol
should make. It was the unanimous
opinion that eternal vigilance is the
price of liberty and liberty of action
and of speech should never again be
suspended in the state of Montana if
the labor movement could prevent it.
Many trades unionists do not agree
- with Mr. Dunn and openly say so,
- but they do agree on the fundamental
character of the rights of free
speech. The Assembly therefore ad
- journed its regular meeting and pro
ceeded to the Palace Theatre where
it ocupied the platform determined
to contest any and all invasions of
the rights of citizens of the United
States.
Mr. Dunn, who is a member of the
electricians local No. 65, was re- r
ceived with a great deal of en- ii
thusiasm and spoke briefly as fol- tl
lows: s
'They think this is the same
old world. It is not, or is it ever n
going to be again. It looks now as 0
if they were wasting their time n
on county divisions and normal r
schools which they never intend i
to giant." Mr. Dunn had just r
returned from Helena where he n
attended the sessions during the t
past week. h
He urged the farmers and
wage-workers to unite, settle up- o
on some program and stick to it.
"There can be no middle road," a
said Mr. Dunn. "We are either
right or 'wrong and there must
be no compromise. If the wrong
exists let's right it now.'
The speaker referred to the
Butte strike a few years ago and
the advance of seven cents per
pound on copper which the An
aconda Copper company procur
ed through inveighling the gov
ernment, as he claimed, after
the strike. He pointed to the c
shut down of the Butte mines
today and the thousands of men
walking the streets there with
out work, suffering from pover
ty and well nigh starvation.
'Then they discharge civilians to
gtive soldiers jobs," he shouted,
"that is pot solving the labor
problem. It is true, the boys 1i
- khaki should be looked after
first but all laboring men must
have work. They are simply
playing one class against an
other in their hope to suppress
you. I believe it is not an ex
aggretion to surmise that six or
seven millions of men will be.
out of jobs in the United States
by May 1. It seems the system
is beyond the individual."
"Under conditions today in
this most prosperous land on the
j globe, when unemployment and
a starvation are stalking through
e the country soldiers are return
d ing and finding their sacrifices
are not appreciated. But the
e employers have more money,
more power than ever before.
But in their obstinance at re
j fusing to meet you they fight
you to the limit of their power."
a Butte Election Frauds.
e Mrs. Kennedy sent to the conven
tion by the women's organization of
n Butte for the purpose of exposing
t the fraudulent election practices of
the A. C. M. politicians next took the
platform and in an interesting and
- lively manner scored the gang tactics
r by which Butte has been run.
Silver Bow Election.
r Mrs. M. L. Kennedy of Butte
a spoke for a few moments, giving
s statistics which she alleged were
e discovered in a recent investiga
tion made on the election in Sil
o ver Bow county by a committee
of women in that community.
s She said that W. F. Dunn had
f been elected representative "be
cause he took his life in his
S hanids and stood for right and
s justice against the controlling
a big interest, the Anaconda Cop
a per company in Butte." The in
e vestigation she stated produced
1- 25 names of voters who gave
their residence as the court
a house, one name happened to be
f that of a man who was later
g discovered to have been dead for
e 12 years and 11 names were
those of men who had been dead
a from three to seven years. Some
n voted, the report announced tak.
f ing the names of .soldiers who
had gone to war and there were
e 17 John Sullivans alone. Upon
investigation it was found. Mrs.
Kennedy stated that some of the
f addresses proved to be simply
;. empty house and in one instance
y an entire block did not contain
a house.
it corded the women.
n Then Robert B&1rns 'M:1rtin took
d the floor and in his humorous and
h genial manner explained the position
I which the Equity found itself in in
l its relation to the Commercial Club.
Is He said:
ie The Commercial Club of Great
n Falls had promised to assist the
e Montana Union, American So.
If ciety of Equity in landing the
t. farmers' congress for Montana
te and had agreed to appropriate
, 8250 for the purpose. But when
al it was announced Messrs. Duna
o and Mills were to speak. Mr.
1- Martin announced the (iommer
- cial club withdrew the offer. Mr.
re Mills later in the evening de
ad nounced this action when he stat
ed it was his belief that the
farmers had brot perhaps $30,
000 to the city during the week.
The audience showed considerable
resentment that any business organ
ization should presume to dictate to
the rest of the community whom they
should have to address them, and
when Martin called upon them to
make up the $250.00 in the form
of a donation, so that the Equity
might not be behind in their ar
rangements, the response was an
immediate volley of money in the di
rection of the stage and the chair
man J. G. Crites of Big Sandy, had
the unusual experience of dodging a
heavy downpour of silver dollars.
Ushers passed through the crowd in
order to reach those who could not
throw to the stage and a sum
amounting to something over $250.00
was raised in less than five minutes.
It is confidently prophesied by the
knowing ones that the Commercial
Club will revise its estimate of what
is hospitality toward great farmer
gatherings in the future.
Some ResolUtions.
R. B. Martin then presented to the
assembly a resolution of encourage
men to the League Legislators at
Helena which was as follows and was
carried by a standing vote with no
one dissenting.
Legislative Motion.
"Be it resolved by the repre
sentatives of the Nonpartisan
league and of the organized lab
or in attendance at the Co-op
erators' congress in Great Falls,
Mont., Jan. 24, 1919, as follows:
"That we congratulate our
elected representatives at Hel
ena on their opportunity in this
session of 1919 to lay the foun
dation for the real work which
organized labor will be able to
undertake as a majority party in
1920.
"That the members of the leg
, le fesenting our organ
11 regularly in a cau
--r own and carefully
ltonsider together all matters
concerning which action is to be
taken and that no action be tak
en by any member with regard
to any such matter except on a
majority vote of the caucus
members.
"That we urge our representa
tives in the legislature to beware
of any advice, any suggestion of
fered, or the giving of any votes,
or the accepting of any favors,
or in any way invilving them
elves sin establishing or maintain
Ing any relations whatsoever with
the-enemies of the common good
as represented in this legislature
by the opponents of the Nonpar
tisan league and organized labor.
"We urge that a record of the
caucus proceedings be made and
preserved in due form including
a record of attendance of League
.end labor members, both at the
caucus and at the sessions of the
legislature, and of all votes by
all such members thruout the
session and that the same be pre
served in the state office of the
League as a part of its perma
nent record."
The Labor forces also were to the
fore with a resolution on the Moon
ey case and one on the situation in
Russia, both of which are given be
low and to which the audience re
sponded with terrific cheering. The
situation is indeed bright for the pro
gressive forces when reaction re
ceives so terrible a set-back as it re
ceived on Friday night.
The Resolutions of Labor.
"Whereas, the action of the
United States of America in the
great world's war was not for
any selfish motive or for ag
grandizement in any form, but
for the overthrow of autocracy
and for the release from bondage
the people of the oppressed coun
tries of Europe, and for the
rights of all peoples for self
government and self determina
tion:
"And whereas, with the aid of
the allied nations we have ac
complished our purpose by over
throwing the despots of the cen
tral empires-Germany and Aus
tria-and republics are rising up
where only yesterday autocracy
reigned supreme;
"And, whereas, with the aid
of the held up to
us by the autocratic masters as
the most illiterate people of the
civilized world have had an
awakening, democracy has rais
ed itself against the organized
forces of autocracy:
"And whereas, the autocrats
of the world would much prefer
to see czarism in Russia than an
industrial democracy. There
fore, be it
"Resolved, that we, the mem
bers of organized labor of Great
Falls, Montana, and the dele
gates to the farmers co-operativs
congress in mass meeting assem
bled, protest against the pres
ence of allied troops in Russia,
and appeal to the president and
government of the United States
to withdraw all American troops
and use their influence to have
all allied troops withdrawn from
Russia as soon as possible so the
people of that country may have
complete freedom of action to
establish the government of their
desires. And be it further
"Resolved, that a copy of this
resolution be tfrwarded to the
president of the United States
and the senators and represen
tatives of the United States
congress from this state."
"Whereas. Thomas Mooney ti
and his co-defendants have been al
sentenced to life imprisonment d
and tl
"Whereas, the investigations of o
two government \ commissions
have proved that Mooney and g
his co-defendants, on perjured ci
testimony providhd by District fi
Attorney Fickert and the San t
Francisco chamber of commerce,
sad
"Whereas, the prosecution of i
Mooney has aroused the anger c
and resentiment of the labor a
movements of all civilized coun- t
tries to the point where they t
have protested to our govern
ment, and
"Whereas, the fact that the
European people find it hard to
believe in the sincerity of our
democratic purposes, as long as
innocent men are confined in pri
son thru the power of the spe
cial privileged interests.
"Be It Therefore Resolved, by
the organized farmers and or
ganized labor in mass meeting
assembled,
"That we demand the libera
tion of Thomas Mooney and his
co-defendants by the granting
of a new trial for these victims
of organized capital."
Walter Thomas Mills.
Then came the moment for which
so many had waited and the chair
man introduced one of the most
learned, forceful and progressive
students and lecturers of the Amer
ican continent. Mills who has travel
ed the world over in search of infor
mation and whose stupendous fund
of knowledge makes him one of the
greatest forces for industrial democ
racy in the United States, spoke for
nearly two hours to an audience who
were held spell-bound. His flashing
wit and mordant sarcasm radiated
through the hall like streaks of fork
ed lightning and ever the audience
roared their approval. He gave a
brilliant account of the great work
of the League in North Dakota, how
it was caring for the children, how it
had installed a State Bank which be
longed to the people of the Flicker
tail state and how the Bankers of
Big Biz were howling that soon the
North Dakota State Bank would have
more money than it could handle.
Mills related how they threatened to
create a run on the bank or would re
fu.e to do business with the people's
bank, and when he said "Well we will
go over their heads and get it from
the depositors of the State" the
house shook with thundering plau
(lits.
This little giant also told of sugar
crafts and how the people of Aus
tralia had worked out the problem
and manufactured sugar for three
cents whereas the manufacturers of
this country were charging 12 here.
Hle explained the Lignite situation in
North Dakota an, when he related
how the League had taken hold of
the vast depoilts and were erecting
biriquette works to take care of the
dust, how they were developing the
.ns into fuel and the oil into power
deoafeoinrz anplause rolled out into
the main street- so that people won
dercd what could have happened to
rouse such stupendous enthusiasm.
For three hours and one-half the
people of Great Falls, the Farmer
xisitors and the organized labor forc
eý listened to the speakers and no
person moved except to shout ap
proval of the sentiment" expounded.
'The brilliant logic, the powerful
rhetoric, the tremendous earnestness
and withall the will to do what was
hin'r enunciated, was evident
throughout. and the reactionary
forces, those x.sho hang around and
try to incite riot and trouble were
defeated in such signal manner that
they are not likely to raise their
heads again for a long time. As one
farmer said, "The best evening of my
life, may we have many more until
victory is assured."
LAW MAKERS 60
SLO WAND EASY
Nothing of importance
except so called Re
construction com.
RED FI.AG BILL PASSED-O4PPO
SITION TO BI-MONTHLY BILL
SHOWN - COUNTY DIVISION
STILl. ALIVE, BUT MOST OF
TIME DEVOTED TO KILLING IT.
Helena-Nothing of very great im
portance has yet popped up in the leg
islative halls. The Red Flag Bill was
passed without a dissenting vote by
those present. House Bill No. 17 re
lating to the incompetency of persons
to contract marriage, House Bill No.
25 regulating the placing of home
less illegitimate children. A bill to
provide for the payment of traveling
expenses for court stenographers and
a bill for certification to county and
city treasurers of county and town
tax levies were also passed.
A bill relative to the appointment
of policemen and powers of police
commissioners was presented for its
third reading, but was withdrawn
and referred to the committee on ju
diciary when the question was raised
that it would prevent the suspension
of police chief's by mayors.
The printers next came in for a
grilling when it was found that a
considerable number of discrepancies
from the original bills were in the let
ter press.
Reconstruction Up-to-Date.
A bill has also been introduced as
House Bill 130 pretending to take
care of returned soldiers. But so far
as we are able to gather from reading
the transcript, at present, it merely
takes care of a number of officials.
Here is the greater part.
Soldier Land Board Provided.
To carry out the purposes of the
act, a soldier settlement board
is to .be appointed by the govern
or, consisting of three members
to be known as commissioners,
one to be designated by the gov
ernor as chairman to receive a
salary of $5,000 per annum and
the other two to receive $4,000
per annum, each. They are to hold
office for a term of two years
from time of appointment. The
attorney general shall be legal ad
visor of the board and shall pros
ecute and defend any actions aris
ing. The board shall appoint such
employes it may deem necessary
and fix salaries.
The board shall not be appoint
ed until such time as the governor
receives official notification that
a federal law has been passed and
approved, providing for the co-op
eration of the United States with
I the state of Montana, having for
the object the settlement on land
of soldiers and others of this and
other states who served with the
armed forces of the United ,States
in the recent and other wars of the
United States.
Reclamation With U. S. in Plan
Projects may be .undertaken
with the United States involving
reclamation of lands within the
state by drainage, irrigation, re
t moval of trees and stumps, build
ing of leeves, roads, land leveling,
fertilization, sanitation or other
F means as may he found prac
able to make the lands suitable
for agricultural Ipurpeost and rur
al homes.
The board is authorized to uti
lize public lands of the state and
to acquire such lands as may be
deemed suitable for agricultural
purposes. together with water
rights, rights of way, etc. Lands
may be leased until it may be
deemed advisable to sell or use the
the same. Any lands belonging
to the state shall be available
for disposition by the board and
the state land board shall co-op
erate in every way necessary to
carry out the purposes of the act.
SThe board is authorized to per
form all acts necessary to co-op
t crate fully with the agencies of
the United States engaged in
work of similar character and to
obtain for the state tihe full bene
fit of the proposed act of con
gress.
Title Powers of Board.
When it is desired by the
board to acquire laud, it shail
give notice by pubhlication in one
or more newspapers of general
circulation calling for offers fror.,
owners of land of tile character
desired. After a thorough inves
tigation by the board of federal
experts, and approval of title by
the attorney general and ap
proval of the purchase by the
t United States, the purchase nmay
V be recommended to the govern
or, and upon his approval the
lands shall be acquired by pur
t chase. gift or condemnation.
r The board is authorized to take
title in the name of the state in:
V fee simple and may convey title,
or execute liens. The title to the
tC riti r, '.I or, Page a'i\" )