Montana labor news., 1938-06-30
The CONSTITUTION
BE DAMNED
Continued from Page y

III lQd, DQl AA. 0OOth aAS0S0
that the custom had grown up in
Montana to falsify the records and
again declared it was none of the
Supreme Courts business.
Wellington D. Rankin, attorney
for the petitioners, called attention
to the statutes making it a felony
to falsify the records and the deci-
sions of the Court holding that the
Court was the only body that could
pass upon the constitutionality of
the acts of the legislature or the
expenditure of money by the legis-
lature. He cited decisions to show
that the members, after the sixty
days had expired, were simply a
rump legislative body, with no au-
thority under the Constitution. He
asked the counsel on the other side
how they expected the people to
respect laws that were born in IL
legitimacy, passed by a band of sit
downers who were only pretending
to be legislators after the sixty days
had expired. If law makers have
no respect for the Constitution, how
can you expect the people to obey
them, and especially when they have
not the dignity Of laws because not
passed under the authority of the
Constitution?
Mr.. Rankin declared that Mr..
Booth was contending for dishonest
practices in the passage of legisla-
ton and asking the Supreme Court
to approve of Justification of records,
the very Justification of which is a
felony under the statute, and would
subject one to Imprisonment if prov
en-.
The practice of rushing laws
through after sixty days have ex-
pired, with many legislators having
gone home, with little or no atten-
ton and thought given to the sub
ject-matter, amidst singing, crap
shooting and similar diversions,
when many are saying goodbye and
in a don't-care spirit, is reprehen-
sible and unconstitutional.
Corporation lobbyists take adj
vantage of the bedlam and confu-
sion. They kill laws by holding
them in conference committees or
pass laws when the opponents are
not looking. No legislation gets a
square deal.
Mr.. Spiegel and his associates are
entitled to the commentator of
everyone in Montana in their eff
forts to help the plain, everyday
citizens and in their struggle to make
the legislature abandon the illegal,
dishonest practice of classifying the
records.
Justices Angstman and Sands are
to be commended for dissenting and
taking a stand for honesty in gov
eminent and unfolding the Consti-
tuition, even though the legislature
defiantly and ruthlessly went
squarely in the teeth Of the Consti-
tution.-From Montana Labor News,
March II, 1887.
I have often been asked how so
much rotten legislation is enacted at
each session of the state legislature
The foregoing article will give a
clearer idea of the methods used,
than I could convey in an article OF
my own. Suffice to say, the State
Supreme Court, as it is constituted
at the present time, has ceased to
be a judicial branch Of the state
government, and have usurped its
legislative functions. It is consid-
cred one of the most reactionary, in
efficient tribunals in the forty-eight
states. In fact it ranks forty-sixth
While the decision of the court, in
the above case, went against me and
my associates, by a three to two
vote, l believe that it had a tendency
to open the eyes of the electorate
to what has been going on in our
legislative halls for years. We now
have Mr.. Anderson and Mr.. Stewart
running for reelection as Associate
Justices to the Supreme Court. Ii
is high time that the voters take
cognizance of their activities in the
foregoing case, and other cases, and
relegate them to complete oblivion.
A splendid opportunity presents
itself to clean house in the Supreme
Court in the coming election, as men
Of sterling character and ability have
filed as opponents to the present
reactionary incumbents. Mr.. Left
Erickson Of Sidney, and Mr.. Phil
O'Donnell of Butte have received
the endorsement of the Montana
Council for Progressive Political Ac-
ton. The Montana Council for Pro-
gressive Political Action is an or
g~anization representing the political
activities of organized labor, both
A. F. of L. and c. I o. in the state.
Affiliated with this body also, are
the Railroad Brotherhoods, Farmers
Unions, Workers Alliance groups
and Central Trades and Labor Coun-
ellis. Mr.. VIM. Cushin of Dillon has
been endorsed for the office of Chief
Justice on a 'write-in" campaign.
The opportunity which we have
been waiting for at last presents it.
self. We can, with one stroke Of
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