The Montana nonpartisan. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1918-192?, 1919-02-22

Reports from Helena show very
little progress in getting work done
and great deal OF noise about moth
ing. The copper crowd have things
well in hand and are mixing the medi-
cine to suit themselves. The League
delegation are putting up fight for
legislation along the lines Of the pro-
gram, but all sorts Of obstructionist
tactics are being resorted to in COM
mittee to keep the bills from the floor
Of the house.
The plan seems to be to kill Oft the
League bills before they have a
chance to get into the house or sem
ate. and to substitute fake laws un-
der the same title. This is q very
old trick and no one is going to be
deceived thereby and it will be found
that this procedure will be sufficient
to defeat the parties who SO conspired
at the next election.
Herd Law.
As an instance Of this method Of
deception. the herd law as it is now
amended or butchered, is perfectly
useless and in fact detrimental TO tne
farmers and is entirely in favor OF
the stockmen. It involves great deal
of legal procedure which is always
fearfully expensive as any farmer
knows and it will be poor comfort 10 g
man whose crop has been damaged
by stock, to find that the cost OF COL
lection saved is greater than the
amount Of the damage.
It is up to the farmer under the
provisions Of this bill to take his case
Tor damages into q "court OF proper
Jurisdiction" and see whether he can
prove q case. The county attorney
"a to take the case up If requested.
Thus the gentlemen who 80 loudly
proclaim their affection for the Tar.
mer are seen to be at the same old
game Of doing the will Of "Big Biz"
The Supreme Court.
Another piece Of copper manipula-
ton is increasing the state supreme
court from three to five. It has been
found that the personnel of the pres
ent court have undertaken to admin
later Justice no matter what interests
were involved, and this Of course does
not meet with the approval Of the A.
G. M. who look upon the highest tn.
bunal in the state as an instrument
with which to work their will on the
producers.
Just n they never rested un-
til they had driven from office
the best United States attorney
this district ever had, B. 4.
Wheeler and substituted In his
place someone whom they felt
sure would prove more pliable to
their orders, so the copper crowd
have set about nullifying the ef-
feet Of Justice Cooper and his as
sociates. Cooper, it will be re.
membered was elected with the
endorsation of the Nonpartisan
League and is quite fearless, able
and unbiased, hence his presence
on the supreme bench Is . per"
etual sore to the invisible govern
ment ON the sixth floor OF the
Hennessy building.
However, these maneuvers ART
serving to advertise as nothing elst
could the bare faced Autocracy Of ths
powers that be in this state, and VII
return . hundred fold at the 1920
election where the people will judge
between the League and Copper.
Compensation Bill.
The same method has been applied
in dealing with the Compensatloi
Act. w. F. Dunn introduced a bill
providing for generous compensation
and covering vocational diseases
Closely modelled on the Ohio Ac'
which is recognized by industrial in
surance experts as one Of the bes'
on the American continent. Th'
company however, under whose Au
tocratic employment hundreds Of mi
ners and smeltermen have died o
miners tuberculosis, lead and arsenic
poisoning stood to pay for these b!
this and the adoption of a bill coy
therefore be altogether against tn
copper profits. Consequently. tn
minions Of the A. G. M. have INTRO
duced another one from whicl
these features are absent and it ap
pears likely to carry all Of which vii
be faithfully recorded and presente'
to the electorate when the time comes
Stillman Stirs Them Up.