Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-13
AFTER SHELLEY'S A
y H. P. Shelley, state prohibition

has been suspended from office by
the federal authorities at Washing
ton, pending further investigation
into alleged irregularities in his Of
flee. MI. Shelley says he is the
victim of a political conspiracy
against him by certain republicans,
and asks the public to suspend judg-
ment until he has opportunity to
prove his innocence of any wrong
doing. Most people will deem the
request only reasonable and grant
it, waiting developments in the
case.
There have been rumors current
for several weeks about a carload
of LIQUOR that got into Helena in
some irregular way, and Mr.. Shell
ley's name was connected with it,
but his summary suspension from
office came as something of a sur
prise to most of US. 1t GEMS to
US that he was entitled to a hearing
or a chance to explain before such
step was taken. That is Mr.. Shell
ley's view of it, and we judge from
what he says that he has had no
opportunity to explain anything
charged against him. Perhaps the
government felt it could better in
vestigate his office with Mr.. Shell
ley out of it and another man in his
place. The public will await with
interest such developments as may
come out of the action at Wash
ington. .
Mr.. Shelley has had a very inter
esting and spectacular career He
first achieved political prominence
in this state as a follower of Joe
Dixon and the progressive party
rcformers. That alliance did not
continue. We don't know just how
the break came about. Mr.. Shelley
sprang suddenly into the limelight
again, and this time as a regular re.
publican. He filed what became
known as the A B c list of delegates
to the late national republican con-
Jvention. 1t got that name because
all the names began with the first
three letters of the alphabet. They
were all or nearly all practically
unknown as far as any previous
connection with the republican party
was concerned, but under each name
was the statement that they were
pledged from first to last ballot to
vote for Senator johnson of Cali
fornia. He was popular with the
voters of Montana and every one
of the Shelley delegates was elect
ed, while some of the best known
republicans in the state whose
names were on the same ticket were
defeated by the Shelley candidates
At the national convention, these
delegates voted Shelley into the
position of national committeeman
for the state of Montana, displac-
ing another old-time wheel horse
of the republican party. All at
tempts % displace him proved fu-
tile. The national committee re-
fused to throw him out, even when
Governor Dixon and his friends put
a law through the legislature de-
clarion a vacancy from Montana on
the national committee and electing
another mar in his place. The re-
publican national committee rather
contemptuously refused to recog-
nize the new committeeman, and
o. H. P. Shelley returned to Mon
tar victorious. The old guard
tried to get him sent out Of the
country through appointment to a
diplomatic post, but Mr.. Shelley
refused to consider such offers. He
asked and received his present job
as head of the prohibition enforce
ment machinery in this state.
AS national republican commit
teeman, he was given some say in
the distribution of the federal pat
ronage in this state, and got into
several differences with Congress
man Carl Riddick, who also claimed
the right to distribute most of the
federal pie. Mr.. Shelley says he
is the victim of a republican con-
spiracy. And there is no doubt / n
the world that a good many leading
republican politicians would be glad
to dangle his scalp from their belt.
Probably all these things will come
out in the wash. 1t is to be some
political wash at that, and much
dirty linen is likely to 60 into the
tub. Meantime, the democrats and
, the public generality will probably