The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1935-12-20

oJreet dynasty Cnat has relgneQ IN |
Dur state house since 1889 when
attorneys for the Northern Pa
cific railroad, the mining mag
mates and cattle barons met in
mock solemn conclave called a
constitutional convention and be-
slowed upon a kneeling electorate,
the Sibyllene books, the Wisdom
from on High, the Decalogue, cal
led a Constitution; that Holy Writ
that was to preserve the good
things Of this wondrous land for
the use, benefit and possession of
the Days, Clarks, Conrads, Nor
gans, Hausers, their heirs and
assigns forever and ever Amen
Praise God Barebones.
The farmers and workers met
at Lewistown October 10 to dis
cuss the fate of the state. Many
who did not attend began to sus-
Peet that something sacrilegious
had happened there. No real news
OF the meeting appeared in the
wall Street Journals of Helena,
Great Falls, Billings. Livingston.
Missoula. A hand bill has finally
reached Butte of the affair. The
meeting voted to cut the controls
from New York and London and
have Montana Produce wealth for
as. who live here. The state con-
stitution is to be entirely wiped
out and a new charter written.
Farmers and Workers! indie
pendent lawyers who have been
preaching the same movement for
20 years welcome you to our
ranks. May we old hands in this
noble endeavor give a little adj
vice that comes from experience
in words that we hope will give
no offense to the new recruits?
The first point we make is not
to ponder about what parts should
be scrapped of this antique thresh-
ing machine which turns all the
wheat to the absentee landlords
and leaves the chaff and some IF
the straw for US. The burden has
shifted in as years. The presump-
ton is that all should be strapped
We have enough grief living and
pursuing happiness under the
Federal constitution and the weird
eOntortionS that the United States
Supreme Court has made of the
simple words of that once bene-
ficial document. In substituting ar
automobile of 1886 for a phaeton
Of 1889, some points of the buggy
are still preserved. The principle
OF the wheel and axle, ard that OF
guiding by diverting the front
wheels, remaining over for build
ing the new car. Most provisions
OF our constitution are as useless
as to have long shafts and a single
tree on the front of a Ford tour
ing car. Some provisions are 81
fobsolete that people nowadays dc
not know what the language meant
by the folks who wrote. In fact
we suspect that themselves do MOI
know.
For instance: Can any human
being in Montana, unless he has
beer first elected a Justice of the
peace, district or supreme court
Judge, tell what the following
language means.
But no debt or liability shall b.
created (by the legislative aSsemb,
I'D which singly or in the aggre
gate with any existing debt or liza,
bility exceed the sum of one hun.
dred thousand dollars, except in
case of war, to repel invasion OF
suppress iIisurrection, unless the
law authorizing the same shall
have been submitted to the peo.
pie at a general election and shall
have received a majority Of the
votes.7
The general fund is indebted
four or five million dollars in war.
rants for debts incurred by the
legislature which have not been
submitted. This plan is desired
by the banks. These warrants en-.
able bankers to collect Interest
from the farmers and workers OF
their deposits, / e., the bankers
obviously openly collect interest OF
what the farmers owe the bank
ers. BY means of public warrants
the bankers also collect interest OF
what they owe the farmers who
have money on deposit.
If the provision has any mean.
ing, it is never observed. Again:
1t is written IT. our basic docu-
ment that no city shall become in.
debted exceeding three per cent
OF the value of the taxable prop
erty therein. The city of Butte
has been indebted in above two
million dollars for 20 years. It's
taxable property never in that
time has exceeded fifteen million
dollars. Its legal limit of debt is
much under half mill;o-i dollars
All the Indebtedness of the city
of Butte Is void under the rules o.
the game that the bankers them.
selves helped write in 1889. Who
would fight? How mary Judge.
are there in Montana who are
not under some obligations to 3
bank.
What of all the supposed safe
guards to provide equal taxation
against corporations and natural
persons. They are ignored. Of q
states having a state income tax
Montana and Delaware are the
only two that absolve corporations
from income taxes. If the cor.
porations organized in Montana
and foreign corporations operating
IN Montana were made to paw The
same proportional income tax as
the rest of US pay, the yield might
De s million dollars the year. The
last census gave 26,70O persons
IN this state above SIS years of
age. We could, by placing the
same burdens of income tax on
our absentee landlords as we en-
cure ourselves, start, without srv
sales tax, a little Townsend Plan
p o1t own. 1t might no. be so
muor but 1t would come To- $1,000
tse mo- tt for every man ami wo-