Evening star., 1933-05-08
MONTANA EXPECTS
ERICKSON TO score:
Irrigation, Air, Postal and
Indian Matters Claim
His Attention.
BY GRACE xENDRICK Eusrrs.

IT have led q very uneventful Life.
Just plugging along" is Senator John Z.
Ericksons description Of himself, though
Tor 40 years. ever since he left the
kansas plains for the cattle and so,d
OF Montana. he has steadily climbed
the political ladder ,p State where
politics is all mixed up like q doe,s
breakfast.
He settled first in Choteau. where
ne became prosecuting attorney Tor
three terms, with q cattle bysiness IN
the side. Then he was elected district
judge, again for three terms, and served
on the bench until 1916, having moved
IN the meantime to Kalispel, which was
IN the same judicial district. For the
next 1ea . years ne practiced law, and in
ISI4 ne was elected Governor Of the
state: For the third time in his career.
but the first time in the history OF
Montana, he was reelected to ONCE
three times.
MI. Erickson's appointment to the
Senate this Winter, after the death of
Senator Walsh. has caused plenty of
chatter In the Capitol and q blast of
press comment. The story Of this ap-
poantment Is brief, but the ramifica-
tions that preceded 1t are as simple as
an international chess tournament. He
resigned his position Of Governor, and
within II minutes Tom Cooney Of Mis-
scula, the lieutenant Rovernor. who
automatically inherited his ONCE, ap-
pointed him Senator.
This never had been done before In
senatorial history, and Senator GeorRe,
chairman Of the Committee on Prtvi.
leges and Elections, appointed q sub
committee of three men, Senator King
Of Utah, Senator Bratton of New Mex
leo and Senator Hebert Of Rhode
Island, to investigate. Senator George,
at the same time, however, made the
comment that he considered this =
matter for Montana to decide.
From various and informed sources
this appointment does not seem to
smack Of egocentricity as much as
would seem. Senator Walsh's death
was real blow for Montana, and left
the citizens in tight fix. Bruce
Kremer, long a membes Of the State
Democratic Committee and a personal
friend of President Roosevelt; Tom
Stout, ex-Representative; o. L. Warden,
newspaper owner in the Great Falls
district, ex-Lieut. Gov. MacDowen,
Harry Mitchell and others equally
prominent q in State politics, were all
suggested to Gov Erickson by their
respective supporters. The State Legis-
lature was in session then and went
hay-wire over this affair. the Lower
House indorsing their speaker as can
didate.
Added to this, the geographical situa-
ton presented difficulties. Senator
Burton K. Wheeler, Democratic incum-
bent, comes from Butte. So also does
Representative Monaghan. That put
Candidates Kremer and Mcdowell,
who live in Butte, at disadvantage,
men. Had it not been that all the
aspirants had known each other for q
long time and were friendly, complica-
tions might have arisen. After Senator
Walsh's funeral the situation became
even more complicated. New factions
entered in from all sides, and finally,
after three days Of hectic night and day
conferences and delayed press state
ments, Gov. Erickson apparently decided
that the simplest way out was to put
himself in
Montana political history for the
past 40 years has been tied up with the
battles waged there by the copper
kings were more devastating than the
Custer massacre Anaconda bought
out "a technical way of cutting on the
enemies head the Clarks and the
Heinzes, and now owns, among other
enterprises, almost all the newspapers
in the State. This element, coupled
with the independent thinking Of the
cattle man, makes 1t necessary for any
Senator from the Bonanza State to
have four eyes.
Mr.. Erickson is distinguished look
ing gentleman of some 70 years. He
has a strong profile, and his shock Of
white hair looks as though it had been
cut under cup. He is modest, gentle,
and the people of the State have
authentic confidence in him, as evinced
by his gubernatorial success. He is
particularly interested In irrigation, air
ways, post offices and the reclamation
Of Indian reservations