Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-22
Law AND ORDER
LEAGUE BACKS
CITY OFFICIALS
County and City Officers Are
Given Support of
Ministers.

City aud county officials were as
sured of the cooperation of the Great
Falls Ministerial association at its
regular weekly meeting, which was at
rended by the officials upon the spec
ial invitation of the Rev. w. Il. Nell
son. president of the association. The
meeting was called for the purpose Of
establishing q foundation for work of
! mutual helpfulness between the min
listers and the officials and was ex-
planned in the following statement.
which was read by the Rev. +. L,
ment committee:
Gentlemen OF the executive and
judicial branches of the city and coun-
~ governments, Greeting: We, the
members of the Great Falls Ministers
association. and men of Cascade coun-
ty have invited you to be present at
this our regular meeting. with two
purposes in view. The first, and by no
means. the least. is that we should be-
come acquainted with one another,
that our names might be associated
with our faces and our personalities.
The second reason is, that in this col
lcctive capacity, we might assure you
that we are ready to back you in the
performance of duty in your several
offices.
I'VE wish also TO affirm that we be-
lieve there is Il close association of
interest betweeA ministers in the
churches and office holders, especially
the law enforcement group. Our rea-
sons for holding this belief are these:
Lincoln is quoted as saying. With pub
lie opinion you can do anything, with
out public opinion you can do moth
ing This is acknowledged as an
axiom of political life. 1t is also stat
ed on every hand that the public press
though no the only two-of the most
potent factors in the formation of pub
lie opinion. That the pulpit has in
fluence in political campaigns is borne
out, we believe, by u study of the re-
suits of the recent election in Mon
tana and Cascade county. This is par
~ticularIy true in respect to the dry
| candidate for congress and in the
pari-mutuel bill, in each case made an
issue in the pulpit and through the
press in the name of the churches.
Success was due, we maintain. to
the persistent activities of our state
anti-saloon league, which has a lieu
tenant in practically every pulpit, and
is supported by most of the church
men Of our state. This non-political
non-party organization is now ready
to support every officer elected in
Montana in the performance of his
| duty. his whole duty, and nothing but
his duty. A state wide move is now
on to enlist every churchman in pulpit
| and pew in a Acknowledgement cam
| paign. We hear rumor and com
plants from various sources, many of
them reliable. as to alleged violations
of law, particularly as to gambling,
prostitution and bootlegging.
I'VE have asked you gentlemen to
meet with us. that you might inform
us as to methods by which you think
we, as ministers, might help you as
officers both in forming public opin-
ion in our pulpits and as an %organiza-
ton in every proper and necessary
way in seeing that public opinion, ex-
pressed in law and committed to you be
enforced"
Following the reading Of the above
there was open discussion of its con-
tents. Informal speeches were made
by Mayor II. NJ. Armour. #. L. Ewald,
county attorney elect; Charles David
son., city attorney; Police Magistrate
II. A. Sheppard, and Undersheriff Mel
VIZ ltoNSS II utbtIutu Tie meeting IN
the absence of Sheriff Bob Gordon.
who was out of town. The Rev. Alley
ander Murden Of Scobey, pastor OF
the First Methodist church there, told
of the way in which the Ministerial as
ISOLATION of Daniels county, cooperates
with the officials of Daniels county.
At the close of the meeting, which
was one of the most largely attended
held recently, a resolution was passed
by unanimous vote, thanking the Of.
ficials for their presence and pledgine
the assistance of the association to as.
sist in all efforts to improve the NOR
al condition of the city and county
Part of the next meeting will be devot
ed to a discussion of the whole prob.
lem of law enforcement