The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-25
The Business Men
UpIift PIentyWOod;
Priest Saves Lawn
(By Worker Correspondent

my worker COrreSpOndent.)
BRENTWOOD, Mont, Oct. "a
The pillars of Plentywood society
have protested against the rotten con-
dltlons and the criminal institutions
OF this town. About thirty irate re-
spectacle citizens asked the city coun-
ell to call an open meeting where
these problems can be discussed and
something done to "clean up the
town." Among the notables present
were business men, the clergy, one
house" owner, the mayor and coun-
cllmen, and one owner of "blind
pig"
w. J. Wagner, city attorney began
by asking people to cooperate with
city government in cleaning up town,
to which speech, another respectable
added the statement, "All those in IA
vor of improvements in this town,
please stand" And everybody stood
Il Mean Financial Standing"
Another attorney in town began
quoting law showing how the town Of
ficers could arrest on mere SUSPICION
any person running a gambling hall,
drinking parlor or house of i'll fame,
and objected to the presence of the
house" owner, stating he should not
nave the nerve to come among decent.
,aW-abiding citizens. The attorney
then quoted more law to show the
house" owner to be a vagrant. and
asked him if he could show that he
mad any visible means of support. The
reply was a cynical snarl. "And bv
respectable citizen I mean" the at
torney went on, mot necessarily a
person who is moral and clean. but
one who has a good financial standing
in the community.
Someone interrupted and asked if
this house" owner did not have a
good financial standing in the com
munity. "On that is different" the
attorney replied, che is a vagrant
anyway, and guilty of misdemeanor
and felony and what not, and if the
officers of this town did their duty,
they would arrest him right now"
No Arrests.
All the officers of the town were
present, but not one moved.
well, why don't you arrest them ?''
someone asked
MT. Jack Bennett, city postmaster,
who had been protesting most vehe-
Imently against conditions in this town
saved the situation by saying, eve
didn't come here to start any rough
house"
Stock Chews.
The meeting then turned into a con-
fessional where all respectables dis
played their virtues, and excused
themselves if they had strayed oc-
caslonally. One Of the bankers claim
ed he had broken about every law and
made a few laws himself, but when
1t came to anyone enforcing the laws
in group, he was with them. And
one of the ministers claimed he did
not think much of a religion that
worked for heaven that was far off.
he wanted it right on this earth. The
Reverend Catholic Father said some
persons objected to some of the laws
we have, but as long as they were
laws they should be upheld, and he
knew they were not being upheld be-
cause the town police were allowing
stock to run and chew up his lawn.
Finally the meeting closed with Mr..
Bennett benevolently stating, eve
can clean up this town, all right with
out any legal procedure. We have
started public opinion in our direc-
ton, and it won't be long before all
these evils will just fade away"
The meeting then closed with no
further action taken.