Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-29
Bible Thought for Today
THE CONLEY CASE

AAAS >N@~N
ONE interested citizen OF Mon,
- tana who read the bulletin
that was posted in the Tribune win
dow early Monday morning max
ing known the court decision in the
Frank Conley case paused to re.
mark:
Gee, but that's tough on Joe
ard Wellington"
There was another fellow stand.
ing along side. who read the bulle.
tin and this was what he said:
Right you are friend, but it is
an awful sight tougher on the peo-
pie of Montana"
There was a third reader of the
bulletin and this was the third
comment:
You fellows are both right-and
we are the birds that pay the bill"
AS we listened to these remarks,
we could not help thinking how
fully they cover the Conley case
from its much paraded beginning
and even unto its inglorious end.
There is no review necessary.
There have been columns published
since its bombastic and nasty
political birth, but throughout the
whole ~nauseating and disgusting
mess there has been nothing to in
spire confidence or command an
ounce of respect on the part OF
the people of the state. It is no
wonder then that the court took
occasion to censure the chief in
vestigator who prepared for a court
of law such a mass of unassinilated
ard ron-investigated circumstances
as. were put into the unwholesone
foundation of this case of the state
of Montana against Ex-Warden
Frank Conley. .....
How the state administration
can ever justify the waste of time
and The big expense and the horri-
BILE result is something which a
disguised commonwealth does not
comprehend.
Perhaps there is not much more
to say that would be worth while.
The court finds in this ~burlesque
litigation that a sovereign common
wealth started out to recover $780,
600. What a d~eadening bump the
state gets when the court finds
that we really owe money to Frank
Conley, and further, that the state
has been getting the long end OF
it is all of the administration of
Mr.. Conley is taken into considera-
ton, and furthermore, that the
commissions who jointly had this
business in charge acted within the
interest of the state and i'll good
faith. 1t is hard to conceive how
the outcome could have been worse
for the state or more disgusting
and h~urniliating.
There might be a fraction OF
consolation if the state authorities
who brought this thing on would
be oue-half as much ashamed as
the people If the state are ashamed
for them.
The Tribune now holds to about
the same conclusion that it reached
when this litigation was one-half
way through. The state it seems
really made money out OF the adj
ninistration of Frank Conley be-
cause it was treated quite gener-
ously in the deals that were put
through. The commissions it is
found acted in good faith.
II anything useful comes to the
state out, of this. case, it will per-
l,aDs be the lesson not to carry on
the business affairs of the COM
monwealth in so loose a fashion,
whatever may be the benefit d.
rectiy derived thereby. Public
business should be made thorough
ly q matter of record-verbal un-
derstandihgs are not within good
method. IF Montana shall learn
this much of a lesson, we are con-
tent to draw the curtain, and for
get this Conley case with all of its
disgusting features just as quickly
as we car.