The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1927-09-23
WALSH DODGES FACTS

Hopelessly entangled in his own sophistries,
Senator T. ]. Walsh, speaker Saturday evening
at a banquet rendered him by Bozeman civic or
CARNATIONS, brought to a sudden and inglorious
close an attempt to justify his adverse vote last
February on the McNary-Haugen bill and passed
quickly to the safer and more popular subject of
the st. Lawrence seaway. Democrats as well as
Republicans are still chuckling over the crushing
denoument, brought about by a few rapierlike
questions thrust at Mr.. Walsh by a Bozeman
business man and farmer who knows his wheat"
Taking it by and large, the senator made a sorry
impression here. He dragged politics out before
a non-political gathering that expected something
else. He forced himself into a humiliating stu
alton from which escape was impossible. He
dispelled forever any chance of "squaring" him
self with Gallatin farmers for his opposition to
the farm relief measure. He left his prestige
here as flattened as a punctuTed tire.
When Mr.. Walsh cast his vote against the
McNary-Haugen bill last winter he. announced that
he did so because the measure was "unconstitu-
tiOnal." The refusal of Montana farmers to accept
his dictum apparently impressed him, and Satur-
day evening he amplified his February statement
by explaining that had the bill become operative
and later been declared unconstitutional, the
farmers of this state would have lost five or six
millions of dollars.
Il voted against the McNary-Haugen bill to
save Montana farmers a loss of five or six million
dollars" the senator declared, in effect.
At this point R. E. Brown arose and inquired
if the senator intended to elaborate on that state
ment later in his address. Mr.. Brown wanted to
know how the farmers were going to suffer this
loss.
Mr.. Walsh replied that if the states production
of wheat were 81 $1,000, 900 bushels in a certain year,
the equalization fee of 10 cents a bushel would
amount to S5,OOO,O 900, which would not be returned
to the farmers if the bill were declared uncon-
stitutional.
rs it not a fact, senator" Mr.. Brown retorted
that under the McNary-Haugen bill the equaliza.
ton fee would be collected only as the wheat moved
in the channels of trade, and that the farmer:
would pay it out Of the increased price they neces
CARLY would receive if the bill were in operation :?
The distinguished constitutional lawyer plainly
was in a tight situation. So he evaded the ques
ton, remarking: 81 will explain the bill more il
detail" After he had mulled over a number O
its provisions, Mr.. Brown declared:
Senator, this equalization fee would be col
lected only if the article moved in trade, and
would be collected under the increased price tn
farmers would receive. 1t would make no differ
ence to them, on the particular crop they alread
had sold, if the bill were declared unconstitr
tional."
Again Mr.. Walsh lodged the issue.
"The farmers would have to pay it, anyhow
he said, and hastily began a discussion of the S
Lawrence seaway. His effort to justify his o.
position to the relief measure had proved
boomerang, and his discontinue was complet
Last February The Courier severely criticize
Senator Walsh for attempting to usurp the fun
tiOns of the supreme court of the United State
the body entrusted with the duty of determinil
whether legislation conforms to the national co