The Montana nonpartisan., 1919-01-25
COUNTY FIGHT
ST|RS TROUBLE
To stall Legislation then
Claim no Time
(By A. B. Fussell)

Delay the legislative session as
much as possible. Then claim at the
end of the session that there is not
time to pass the progressive meas sures
demanded by organized farmers and
organized labor.
That seems to be the plan of the
leaders at Helena. At the end Of the
first two weeks, one-fourth of the ses-
sion, the legislature has been success
fully embroiled in county division
fight of wholesale proportions. Not
a single measure Of Importance to
either labor or the farmers, who to-
gether comprise 80 per cent Of the
population Of the state, has been
brought forward for consideration.
And on ton of this the legislature,
after brief session last Friday, was
adjourned over till the following Mon
day.
Different in North Dakota
The North Dakota legislature,
where the organized farmers are in
full control, is operated on different
plan. The first two weeks saw every
measure Of Importance on the farm
ers' program up for consideration
and seven of the most important
bills, those ratifying the constitution
al amendments, had been passed in
both houses. The Dakota farmers held
sessions Saturday the same as any
other week day. But then, none Of
them had to 60 down to Butte to get
orders for the next week.
The county division flight" has all
the earmarks Of a carefully prepared
affair, designed to weaken the farm
ers. Senator Mckay of Sanders coun.
ty, elected by the League after hard
battle, had no sooner gotten to hei.
ena than he was faced by bill that
would take the bulk Of the farmers
out of his district and put them in
the county Of Lake. Other county
division schemes hit at Valley, Sherl-
dan. Richland and other League coun-
ties. Everywhere the plan seems to
be to create, if possible, an addition
al anti-League senator and represen-
tative. whose votes will offset the
votes of men elected by the League.
Along with this there is an attempt
that has failed thus far, to get the
Ieapue men aligned against each
other on county division fights.
To Distract Attention
But above all this there is the at.
tempt to create disturbance tha1
will take everybody's attention away
from the fact that the organized 1ar-
mers and organized workers nave
come to the legislature with certain
demands that must be answered, IN
some manner or other. Any kind OF
a fight at all will help, the legisla-
tive leaders think, to take the atten-
ton of the people away from the
main issue. It used to be the liquor
question that was used in this man.
ner. Now that question is dead one
and something else had to be found.
Twenty-Five separate county divis-
ion bills had been introduced IN the
first two weeks of the legislative ses-
sion. The number Of these bills alone
is enough to show that the legislative
leaders do not intend all, or any con-
siderable number of them, to pass.
One day the senate is against any
county division bills. The next day
it welcomes all of them: One day
the house refuses to consider any bills
on which substantial agreement is
not reached in committee. another day
It. sends a bill back to committee when
he committee is unanimous in recon-
mending it.
It all helps to take up time: It all
helps to fool the people into thinking
that there is real fight on. Mean
while bills are introduced at rate
that day by day makes it more unlike,
" that the most important ones will
receive any serious consideration
And at the end of the session how
easy it will be for, the legislators to
spring the time honored alibi that
they shadu't time"