The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-04-05
THE FREE PRESS

+b Anaconda acts as "shock troop" for the several IT.
railroad companies the telephone and telegraph COM
NAMES the sugar trust the smelling interests, the
banking interests and any other of the interests naC
operate in this state and increase dividends by keeping
rates high and taxes low-and made responsive to the
will of the people, there rejoicing throughout tne
commonwealth on the part of those who freted at the
obvious prostitution of the fair state to the advantage
of those whose only interest is the measure OF the pro-
fiji thew can extract they were elated that this scion
of famous family so identified with Montana, mad
thrown down the gauntlet to the corporate greed tna
had cast its sinister shadow the dome OF the very
capitol and had volunteered to dedicate portion of
the fortune sprung from the soil of the Treasure State
to the vndcation of democracy-to the proposition
that limits must be set in the state to the lusts OF
putocracy.
The people embraced in the far flung borders of
Montana were inspred-they galvanized TO &C
ton: they girded their oins buced their sword and
went forth the battle that to drive the dragon
from the capitol to its lair>in Butte.
The fighers felt that the struggle well supported by
the Miner and financially sustained by Clarks libera
ty must end in victory.
Victory smiled in the Primary skirmish: Gov. Erick
son was barely nominated the democratic candidate,
but the Company lost its candidate the Republican
ticket The prospects for the fall campaign were eX-
ceptonally promisng-the Anaconda had been worsted
its magic spell brokenthe great serpent realized it
The things done.
The Clark heirs were cajoed, persuaded ntimdated
into the sale of the Clark holdings including the Min
err to the Anaconda, the head of w. A Clark, Jr
The fighters who had enlisted in the campaign
against the Company were surprised, disappointed,
chagrined they saw victory turned into defeat But in
the veins of VIM Clark, junior coursed the blood of
VIM Clark senior-mdaunted by this betrayal he or
dered the establishment of the Montana Free Press,
Immediately, and dedicated to the welfare of his
tive state and the promotion of the veal and
told the people of Montana that his time and his money
behind the paper and at the service of his neigh
bors.
A building was purchased and rebuilt printing
chinery was assembled; in four or five weeks the
Free Press issuing from the plant, feat that
marks record in newspaper history
All this took money and lots of it-but Clark was
putting money yielded by Montana itself into this
fight for the emancipation of Montana He felt that
the money well spent. After the "skirmsh' in
November, when the Free Press did Woman service,
though the fight went against the people, Clark an
nounced that he in the fight to the finish and
that the Free Press here to stay, whatever the
cost. 1t had cost Anaconda mint of money to win
the November tiltit had sailed the state with gold
Clark had no to be discouraged
But election over, something happened-something
still unexplained. Sudden changes occurred in the
Free Press The paper seemed to lose its wayn fact
seemed to forget its course the port to which
it was sailing. From then until the first of Janu-
airy the Free Press just newspaper carrying the
United Press dispatches together with a number of
popular syndicated features nicely gotten up and well
printedbut asleep and drifting its spirit gone Moth
ing was said about Anaconda rather the paper was
inclined to be fulsome toward the serpent and the
other interests exploiting the state Yet the paper
was still boycotted advertising medium thru the
influence of the Anaconda. Then, as suddenly the
policy of the paper changed again. and the cudgel
taken up against the Anaconda company, once more
But the fight seemed to assume personal aspect
and the policy of the paper seemed to descend to a
carping, faultfndng level, sans ring of sincerity.
The assembly convened. The Free Press made g
gesture by sending Larry Dobell over to cover the
session. Larrys contributions were interesting but
lacked punch and purpose. There was no end OF
plan in his activity. Scott the old editor of the Hell
ena Record-Herald, was employed as editor to take
the place of Martin Hutchens at a splendid salary bu
his editorials were honestly simply rehash of the ole
Dlxon-Landstrum ant-company publicity, somehow Out
OF tune now with graveyard strain The Helen;
news and legislative reports were below parin fac
the Montana Standard during the first half of the SEES
sion contained the better reports Matters of import
ance were overlooked and nconsequental things feat
ured.
There never better opportunity than at tb
opening OF the Twenty-first Assembly to have done
some actually constructive work in behalf of the people
OF Montana, had the Free Press staff come to Helen:
with program and with purpose to organize th
legislature. The Free Press did not seem to know
what to do or how to do tin fact it did not seem Il
have any grasp of the situation at all
The supporters of the Clark policy. so toneful,
pD,s"eu III the summer became dscouraged-man.
a. IHi even ussus1ed They regretted the phase o
To-, -Iee Fress' It's !! don't know where Pm going Blu
:" my way aeVltude The prestige of the pape
49, Win 'ne winter temperature Everybody in
quired, what is Clark trying to do ?" What Is n
idea of the Free Press?" evil Clark get tired Of
and close it down morning and throw the nlar+ .
the bargain counter? Confidence IN tl r,t liz.
diminished But yet in spite of all, the Helena yo,o
kept up the desire of everyone to read paper NJ
dominated by the company being so keen.
Due the people, the rank and fiIe the workers in n
mines and In the woods and the forward looino, fa~