The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-02-21
tom IIlent
WORTHWHILE AND
OTHERWISE, ON MAT
TIERS IMPORTANT and
UNIMPORTANT

It would seem that the bill ought to
be enacted that would make illegal the
acceptance by Montana legislators of
appointment to public jobs while hold
ing seats in the state legislature.
Such appointments could be used to
control legislation. to the detriment of
good government There are those who
are convinced that such thing has
at times been done. Whether or not
there is any truth in the report, there
will always be suspicion that the vote
of legislator has been bought when he
is appointed to lucrative public pc
sition following his work in the legis-
lature. Every door should be closed
against any possible contamination of
a peoples law-making body. And those
who seek seats therein ought to well
come the removal from them of any
faint of suspicion.
Eternal vigilance is the price of good
government. The proposed bill should
become law.
No lasting good can come from a
partnership with vice. The hi1sory Of
the race teaches the incontrovertible
t.,.+L of That rt,tar,ar4 arL ryat ,,,ar
who are supposed to have at least
average brain power continue the at
tempt to extract from vice benefit
Last Monday the Montana house of
representatives passed bill to legalize
gambling by the narrow margin of 81
to 81 votes. And thereby the house dis
graced itself One needs not very long
memory to remember that only a few
short years ago Reno of divorce fame
decided to go the whole hog and the
eifT~Was thrown wide open to gambling
and other forms of vice What was the
result? 1t was only a few months until
the citizens of that city were utterly
sickened with their bargain. An As
ISOLATED Press reporter. visiting the
place and writing UP the after effects
Of the new regime, said the expert
ment in vice had been wholly disap-
pointing, that the revenue was far be-
low what had been expected and that
vice conditions were disgusting and
nauseating a
The ultimate harvest Of legalized
gambling is a crop of suicides, theft of
funds, spoilation of character, and the
taking from wives and children of the
income that belongs to them
State senators at Helena should be
sWamped with flood of letters and
kilograms demanding the killing Of the
gambling bill.
Over 300 bills introduced into the
house at Helena and most of them must
be considered within 10 days That con-
dition is common at every session Of
the legislature. 1t again emphasizes the
crying need for change in our legis-
lative machinery. If the usual practice
is followed, many Of the bills will be
adopted with very little if any con-
sideration, because Of lack OF time
Either that procedure will be followed
or bills will be killed that ought pos
sibly to be enacted.
Perhaps the legislative council pro-
posed by another measure would be an
improvement over the present system
Under this plan council Of several
members of the house and senate would
meet short time before each session
of the Legislature, consider and study
needed Legislation and recommend
measures to the legislature when it
! convenes. Perhaps it would be wise to
confine all legislation at any one sesa
sion to the measures proposed by the
council. This plan would also provide
for shorter session. A further i'm
provement would probably be the COM
bining Of the two houses into one, with
: limited membership.
= = =.
There ought to be law" has almost
become a proverb in this grand and
glorious country of ours. And watching
the aftermath of the Hauptmann trial
for the Lindbergh kidnapping murder