Montana labor news., 1937-10-21
civil Liberties Union
Pleads for MIR. keeney
National Organizations Becom-
ing Increasingly Interested in
Montana's Educational System


The American Civil Liberties I'm
ion wired Atty. Rankin's office at
Helena about Oct. 7 asking that it
be allowed to submit a brief to Judge
Padbury in behalf of Professor Kee-
ney. This request was granted after
Judge Padbury was consulted. The
action of the A. C. L. U. means a
further delay Of about two weeks,
but this added brief may have con-
siderable Importance when and if
the case is appealed to the state Su-
preme Court.
The American Civil Liberties In
ion is the third national organization
to enter the case. Soon after Pro-
fessor Keeney's dismissal on April
Il a special committee Of the A. c..
L. U. was appointed to investigate
the Montana situation. After an ex-
haustive study of all available data
this committee submitted a report
stating that the Keeney-Rowe case
was a matter to be decided by court
action. Had Missoula been anywhere
east of the Mississippi the A. C. L. U.
would very probably have taken ac-
ton much earlier on its own initia-
tive. By the time it asked whether
counsel had been engaged for Pro-
lessor Keeney, the Montana Fedora
ton of Labor had employed Mr.
Rankin and the court battle was an
accomplished fact.
Three Notorious Cases
The A. C. L. U. has already stated
for purposes of publication that the
three most notorious cases of viola
ton Of academic freedom in the past
year are as follows; l, the dismissal
of Jerome Davis from Yale. Pro
fessor Davis is the international pres
ident of the American Federation of
Teachers. Pressure was brought to
bear upon the Yale Corporation by
reports of the A. A. U. p, N. E. A.,
and A. F. of T. Pickets were thrown
about the building where the Yale
Corporation was meeting. This con-
certed pressure forced the reaction
aries who control Yale's destiny to
back down and they capitulated by
offering Professor Davis a years sal
airy. 2, the refusal of Harvard Uni
versity to re-appoint Sweezy and
Walsh after the expiration of their
contracts in 1889. Both of these
young men are instructors in Eco
Monies and both are active in the
Teachers Union movement. So great
was the hue and cry at Harvard and
in the nations press that President
Conant agreed to an investigation
by nine full professors of Harvard.
This report will be of vital import
ance to the academic world and it
will throw a flood of light on mat
tiers pertaining to promotions at Har-
ward. 3, The Keeney-Rowe case. An
enormous amount of pressure has
been brought to bear on the persons
who dismissed Professor Keeney
without any kind Of a public hearing
and who placed Professor Rowe on
a month-to-month contract. This
pressure rolled off the r~eactionaries
like water off a ducks back. This
was due in large measure to the fact
that the daily press in Montana has
carefully avoided any publicity that
might mildly condemn the Board Of
Education and President Simmons
The Missoula County Trades and La
Dor Council at its last meeting ap-
pointed a committee of four to cal
on the Daily Muscular for the pur-
pose of buying space in that free
press" advertising the Keeney-Rowe
case.
When Professor Keeney founo
himself unemployed in April, he be.
gan looking for a job. In July he
was notified by Congressman O'Con-
nell that Civil Service examination,
were to be offered for positions il
the new Division of Library Service
in the Bureau of Education. HI
took these examinations and learned
last week that he had placed second
for chief of this new service. Secre
tary Ickes makes this appointment
from the first three places on the
list. Several Trades Councils have
already wired Secretary Ickes en-
dorsing Mr.. Keeney. Many centra
labor bodies in the state and many
local unions will endorse and sup
port Mr.. Keeney in his effort to OBJ.
tain this responsible national posi-
ton.