The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1928-02-24
CLEMENTS DILEMMA

The Butte Bar Association held It's regular an
nual meeting on the date provided for that event
in its bylaws, and elected officers, transacted the
regular business coming before the Association and
incidentally passed resolutions, unanimously it is
said, addressed to Governor Erickson, preferring
certain charges against Burke Clements erstwhile
reporter the odiferous and scandalous Helena
Independent owned and edited by one wild Bill
Campbell whom Senator B. K Wheeler once used
to delight in comparing with the devil himself, but
now chairman of the State Industrial Accident
Board, asking the governor to request the resig-
nation of said Burke Clements At the same
time, by the unanimous vote, a committee
of prominent and outstanding lawyers were named
by the Association to take the resolutions to the
Governor at the capitol at Helena present them to
him and ask for a day when the said committee
could appear and present their evidence in support
OF their charges which they asked the Governor
to Justify his acts in asking for Clements resigna-
ton.
The resolutions were presented to the governor,
a day set for the committee of the Bar Asso-
citation to appear. On the day set the committee
appeared. The committee was composed of Lownes
Maury, Harlow Pease and j. j. Bourquin. Mr..
Bourquin was sick abed on the day and could rot
appear, the other two did,
Now Governor Flathead Erickson was in di-
lemma. The hearing not trial nor was it
intended to be SUCH A resolution had been passed
! by body of lawyers making certain charges for
the purpose of calling the attention of the govern
or to certain facts! Burke Clements was embar-
raised, the Governor was embarrassed, the Ana
conda Copper Company was embarrassed A verv
respectable and influential body like the Butte Bar
Association had passed resolutions accusing this
serve mendicant of the big interests of the State
with maheasance in office, has filed them and
asked Tor chance to present their case
! What did Flathead John do? Did he receive
this committee and give them respectful hear.
ing as was anticipated? No! What did he do
He called meeting of the State Accident Board
4 What for no one knows. No such thing had beer
; contemplated No purpose could be served. The
} maneuver was bad out for Gov Erickson.
Then with the Accident Board in session anc
'ne Governor present as sort of spectator, hi
+, asked the committee to proceed with their proof
The committee proceeded Mr.. Clements inter
,, rupted with wild bowls, and danced about like ;
whirling dervish, interrupting and hurting counte
accusations, preventing orderly procedure will
the doclie executive not so much as calling tn
S lrate Clements to order Finally the COMMITTEE
presented its evidence in support of the charge
0 SET Iorth IN the resolutions, whereupon the Gov
i enor who calls himself lawyer, and who wa
--NN va WIG NAS0IACI DSHcH DeIOfe the Copper Com
pany made him governor, resolved the whole affai
n IN some sort of a court-a Kangaroo court of som
sort, and assumed that these chargse were indict
: ments brought by grand jury, then himself at
J, lacked these presumed pleadings in a ouixoti
e manner, asserted they had no place in court be
cause they were not signed, and then profoundl
+ concluded that he had no jurisdiction in the mai
a ter because he did not have power to remove Gle
) ments, and with dramatic gusto dismissed tn
> case.
n The Governor, in what was supposed to he
IS private hearing to hear evidence in support of
e unanimous resolution from very dignified bod,
called In Mr. Clements to publicly insult and brow
beat the committee designated to present the resc
IS lutions, and evidence in support of the CHARGE
10 contained therein Then he hid behind a suite,
e tuge set up by himself in dismssing the whole Al
e talr Now, of course the committee knew that hi
excelency could not remove Burke Clements The
n knew the law no doubt great deal better tina
se the Governor himself. They presented the resi-
% buttons of the Butte Bar Association: thew sul
stantiated the charges contained theren thew asl
ed the Governor to ask Clements to resign becaus
il of his wilful violation of the law and contennt
the explicit directions of the State Supreme Con,
te IN his servile catering to the employing interest
is There is no law preventing Gov. Erickson's asI
e ing Clements to resign-even the Governor know