The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-01-21
Forced Democratic Economy.

Forced Democratic Economy.
Already the platform pledges of the
Republican party, promising to the
people of Montana a campaign of re-
trenchment in the matter of eNpendi-
ture of the states funds, and de-
partl1re from the extravaganza OF the
ming to bear fruit. 1T is we'll known
that the plea for economy which Gov
ernor s. V. Stewart made to the
present legislature in his message,
was forced by the attitude of the Re
publican senators and the Republican
minority in the house, who are deter
mined to do away with some OF the
useless state offices and commissions
which were created by the Democratic
legislature of two years ago.
In a desperate effort to foresta]l
Republican action looking Stowards
economy Democratic leaders took up
the matter OF employees in the present
Democratic house OF representatives
and the Republican senate. The
opinion of Attorney General Dan
Kelly, stating that the law provides
for only is employees in the senate and
Fl in the lower house, is the result.
While this decision leaves the Demo-
cratic house, with nearly 100 employees
on the payroll, in bad shape, it does
not dismay the senate in the slightest,
for obvious reasons. Two years ago
the senate was organized by the Demo-
Gratis. 1t had at that time a total OF
81 members, but it also had a total OF
81 employees.
At the present time the senate has a
membership OF 80, all increase OF
eight, but at the same time it has
only SO employees upon the payroll,
which means that the present Repub-
lican senate Of 80 members is spend
ing considerably less in organization
than did the last Democratic senate
with membership Of only 81.
The statute which Attorney General
Kelly has uncovered was on the books
two years ago, but both houses being
Democratic at that time the necessity
for exploiting it to the members Of
the legislature was not apparent to
the party leaders, and the Democrats
missed the golden opportunity to
prove to the people of Montana that
it is the interests of the state they
have at heart and not their own per-
sonal gain. 1t has remained for the
Republican senate, cooperating with
the Republican minority in the house,
to take a stand which has driven the
Democrats into corner They are
now hesitating on the brink of the
last ditch, and the Republicans, firm
ly entrenched behind the ramparts of
party faith we'll kept and platform
pledges adhered to, are steadily push
ing them over the edge into the preci-
pice Of political oblivion.
The question which N has been
brought up by the opinion of the at
torney general can be decided only by
the supreme court despite the fact
that the attorney general declares the
constitution unconstitutional" The
attorney general insists that a law
must be passed by the Legislature fix
ing the number of employees in each
body of the Legislature. That will
suit the Republicans to a ct, - if the
Democrats in the house do not try to
make the number too large,
Any measure looking towards econ
omy and efficiency, not only in the
legislature, but in every department
OF the state, will receive the support
of the Republicans in both houses of
the present session OF the Legislature,
but in every department of the state,
will receive the support of the Re-
publlcans in both houses of the pres
ent session of the legislature, Who are
determined to fulfill the party pledges
Of the platform upon which they were
elected. 1t is this determination, and
the attitude of preparedness of the
Republicans to fight every eXtrava-
giant move of the Democrats, which
has brought about the present sitna-
ton relative to the legislative en-
ployes, which is a marked reversal of