Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-11-26

! Helena, a number of Socialists from
iffcrsnt parts OF the state, to discuss
the adyisability Of the Socialist Party
of Montana owning a newspaper
There were present John Powers OF
Billings, Fred Kleeso of Bozeman.
Jesse Selby from Fort Benton. Mrs.
Hazlett. who had just arrived from an
organizing trip in Fergus county. Jas.
ID. Graham from Livingston, a number
of Helena Socialists and others from
various parts of the state whose
names cannot be recalled at present
At the meeting J. n. Walsh, then
owner and publisher Of the Montana
News offered to give the party the
News and its plant
The matter went 10 a referendum
vote and the membership of the party
! by vOt" OF ten To one decided on
taking over the News from J. Il.
Walsh on condition that the party as
sumo III" mortgage on the plant which
amounted to $3.50.
The necessity Of having a socialist
paper to fight the battles OF the work
ing class, carry on a work O propa-
ganda, create interest in local affairs
and the party work in general was
gone over in detail and il was de-
CidCd at the conference that il would
be a good thing for the party to take
over the News.
Three years ago this month the first
| issue of the News as a party owned
/ paper was issued. Since then the
News has grown and developed ANA Is
known all over the country having
taken its place as "a socialist paper
of national Importance.
During the life of the News il has
don" considerable service To Tn" cause
OF tn" working class. Scarcely had
the party taken over the News than
We We're called upon to fight a vicious
| primary law which had been passed
| by republican Legislature and signed
| by democrat governor. So sue
ccssful an agitation did the socialists
carry on, So thorough was the oduCa-
tional work done 10y the News on the
primary law. that the law only became
4
all over the state copied columns from
the News on the primary law. Two
years ago, the governor Of III" state in
| his campaign speeches for the demo-
| cratic party condemned the primary
law, which he as governor had signed
and his arguments were. word for
| word taken from the columns of the
News. The last session OF the legis-
lature unanimously repealed the pri-
mary law and there was not socialist
| member among the lawmakers.
In the spring of 1906 the socialists
| OF Livingston called ON the News To-
fight a large franchise steal in that
| city. An eight-page special edition
was printed. the entire franchise grab
| exposed. thousands of copies OF the
News were distributed from hous" To-
house in Livingston, and as a result of
the special election that was held. the
| franchise grab was defeated 10y an
overwhelming majority, although the
corporations had both Livingston
newspapers and had paid as high as
$500 to certain Livingston men to
work for the success of the franchise
at the polls.
The socialists of Livingston followed
this victory up had the News print
questions on the local situation,
| flooded the city with copies of the
News and on election day elected one
socialist alderman and only lacked a
| few votes Of elrCting a second over the
combined opposition of the TWO old
parties.
The members of the Livingston
local gave the News credit for the
victory and were emphatic i'm their
declarations that IL the same work
was done all over the state that there
would be socialists In every city cOun-
| ell in the state.
Ia Ia la..l.N sf
the Livingston socialists and tn" ad-
vantages gained were not followed up.
| The next big fight that the News
took up was i'm June 1906. The Ctti-
zens' Alliance was vigorously organic
| ing in the state, and was carrying on
an aggressive and effective campaign
i'm Billings. i'm which place the unions
were being worsted The News secret
service secured the inside information
| of the workings of the Alliance and
| the names OF its members in various
| parts Of the state.
| In one issue of the News the name
| and business OF every member of the
Billings Citizens Alliance was printed
| and the city Of Billings flooded with
| copies of the News. This kind OF
publicity was not enjoyed by the
| members of the Alliance and resulted
/ in large number of withdrawal cards
being issued by that organization.
Since then there has been no active
| work done by the Citizens Alliance
| I'm Montana To amount to anything.
The fight that the News made on the
Alliance attracted so much attention
that the capitalists all over the state
telegraphed banks In Helena to secure
extra copies of the Montana News
dealing with the Alliance, and the
agents of the Standard oil company
| I'm Helena came to the News office and
Offered five cents apiece for five hum
dred copies OF the edition OF the News
which contained the write-up and
names OF the members of the Billings
Citizens Alliance. The supply was
exhausted. the forms destroyed and
| the Standard oil agent could get only
thirty copies of the Montana News
The News has taken up other Fights
for unions of Montana, too numerous
To mention.
Recently two Citizens Alliance men
were overheard on the streets OF
Helena speaking about the News.
one OF them said: 1T Is n pity that
we could not get the News out OF
town" The other replied THAT
would do no good, No matter whore
II would go II would keep up the fight,
| N don't confIne itself to one com :