The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-03-30
SENATES REPUTATION
UNIMPORTANT


(From the Montana Record Herald.) /
The majority of the state senators
in the Seventeenth legislature appear
to have been and probably still are
Indifferent to the good name of the
senate. Tom Arthur may say that
he can bride senators, and the gentle
men who composed this majority will
not be offended. They did not rebuff
nor rebuke Tom for his statements
that he had some of them Gin his
vest pocket" and could deliver" them
at his sweet or oily political will.
I They had the opportunity to rebuke
him, but they refused to do it. In
adopting the majority report of the
senate committee that prObed Toms
slanderous. remark, and in rejecting
the minority report, they officially
and solemnly and for all time went
upon record as of the opinion that it
is utterly unimportant that Tom said
he controlled" and could deliver"
them.
Well, everybody has his own tastes
in such a matter. The senate major
ity obviously is of the same mind as
the meek and philosophic individual
who, after being called everything
vile that could be imagined, asked
the vituperative and profane gentle
man who had thus linguistically strip
ped him of every semblance of virtue
and honor, if, aside from that, he
was all right. If the senate majority
can take such a position with equani-
nifty, the rest of the people Of the
state should be able to stand it.
However, it is hardly probable the
public will agree with their complac-
ent treatment of Arthur, or approve
it. The people have the record of
the sworn testimony of half dozen
business men of high standing that
Arthur traduced the senate, defam-
ed its good name, and practically
charged some of it's members with
bribery. In this there were two dis
tinct assaults upon the senate. In the
charge of bribery the senate in its
individual members was accused OF
crime. If the charge was untrue was
UNANIMOUSLY slandered and libeled.
The senate probe committee and
the senate repealed the charge of
crime. The public-that is, the un-
enlightened public-will marvel be-
wilderedly why it did not repel and
rebuke the SANDER and libel, and GEN.
sure the man whose tongue attacked
its honor. The enlightened public
those observers who are aware of the
sinuous course pursued toward Gov
ernor Dixon by the senate majority
and appreciate the considerations that
swayed it, will fully understand the
situation.
The senate majority preferred tt
make a puerile and futile and sense
less attempt TO vent its spite and re
buke the governor of the state, be
cause Of the terrible Offense he com
mitted when he called the legislature
attention to the vile SANDER of Ar
thur, rather than to put Tom Arthur
in the stocks Of senatorial censure AM
expose him to the condemnation tina
he SO richly merited for boldly an
contemptuOusly saying in the presenc
Of nearly a dozen men, Il had min
representatives and five senators i
nv pocket that l could deliver. Yes
by God, 1 did,"
We believe that in its dealings wit
this matter the senate majority mad
one of the gravest of the many fla
grant mistakes made by it durin
the regular and special sessions Q
the legislature. 1t made a mistak
in not indicating it's honor as full
in respect to this slanderous attac
as it did in respect to the charge c
crime. 1t made a mistake in tryin
to use the situation to injure the COY
ernor. 1t made a mistake in seekin
to smother the minority report an
the minority opinion by expungin
the report from the senate record.
We are sure the people of the stat
expect the state senate at all time
to as fully purge itself from slande
Gus charges as from charges of Grim
We are sure the people of the sta
will support Governor Dixon in brin!
ing this slanderous charge to the a
tention Of the public, and will no
that he merely performed his pla
duty in so doing. We are sure tt
people of the state will not allow Il
minority report and the minori