The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1940-07-17
Political Machine Wins Temporary Victory
Looking Backward

lAOVAAAA6 OONhV OAu
Another added to history The princ
pal interest conferred true four in the selec
ton of nominees for the governorshp.
This year. perhaps than any other time in the history
of the state progressves challenged control by the large
teress of the state of this most important office On the tick
cts of both of the major parties there candidate who
corporations men OF principle and strong convictions that
the control of the state should be the interests of all of the
people and not administered solely for the benefit of foreign
owned, exploiting industrial organizations
On the democratic ticket there two in race
who be said to have been equally acceptable to the
poratons hem the present governor
history cooperation with the Anaconda Copper Mining
Company Eight elected to the of
the United States like many others permitted to make
budup for himself by casting votes for legsa
ton which usually foredoomed to defeat in order that he
might create reputation which he certainly had not
earned in his on the bench-a reputation liberal
he entered the for the governoshp
against Holt recognized conservative but who hon
esty trying clean the fostering spots in the state admin
sraon In doing he stirred the antagonism of the old
political machine particularly by his efforts clean the
the highway department Top employees of this de-
partment were discharged and replaced major scandal
threatened and undoubtedly other departments of the
sensed threat to their accustomed freedom of racketeer
ing, should Holt remain governor.
Judging by events be assumed that Ayers made
deal with the political machine and posing liberal the
the harmless Ito the corporatons that
while in congress- he elected and Immediately rein
stated the employees of the highway department who had been
cloud and and still in the minds of many
decent honest, progressive people in the state.
An investigation by friendly legislative committee of the
highway department arranged when the legislature
in which this committee carried out the investigation
farce out of the procedure Rumors of graft and col
fusion by contractors and the highway administration in
vesgated by this committee by placing the contractors on
the and asking them about the truth fasy of the
charges and the done with the highway engineers
and The result of investigation such that
can be nothing but whitewash which it obviously
intended to be.
Up Ayers administration control of the
liquor traffic had been administered by the Board of
Examiners three elected officers directly answerable to the
the their actions This sharing authority
business did not suit opporuns Ayers He asked for law
to be passed. creating liquor board be appointed
the thus placing the control of this juicy melon
entirely in his hands.
legislature partly bemued and partly comparatively
gave him this law. He asked for dctatoral
the employees all departments of the state
cep the in the elective offices and received from this
legislature. He set to Ego to town. And he
has been going there since that time.
With the aid of the dictaora given to him. he has
developed personally owned political machine at the
of the taxpayers of the state that definitely estens
welfare of the state During the last session of the leg
aure conditions connection with the states liquor control
board become openly VIGOROUSLY nosome that in
vestigaon demanded The Shiny trails of graft and
rupon by this committee the time and with the
available for it's indicated high in brazen
poation of public trust Testimony given before this
mittee charged the directly with dverng public
property to his own any the charges
the and he asked for hearing to
clear his and reputation. Why?
The candidate the democratic ticket who in all like
hood thoroughly acceptable to the corporations of the
Mr. Lamey who for had been the legal
of two of them Personally reputable decent
strong bid for the nomination against Ayers He made
promises Whether of them would have been carried
we know Those of who have observed
political campaigns for many decades and have learned
the probable sincerity of political promises made
basis Of the past record and affiliations of the making
hem, realistically skeptica They not thus APP
by great number of credulous people however Per
laps right wrong appraisal We
not going to have opportunity to Il told you so
Tor they.
AS the election turned out glad that Mr. Lamey
,oled vote that there great majority of people
N he
office who did not counenance personal racketeerng
machine politics. holds real hope for the immediate fu
ure.
more academic reflection from the standpoint
practical poics) arises in connection with Mr. Lameys
md attitude toward Mr. Ayers candidacy re-eec
ion of the democratic committee
convention this year. he his assistance ralroadng
esouton endorsing the administration of Ayers Since that
has attacked the Ayers administration radio
peech after another while campaigning for office Thou
people have heard him do Now unsuccessful
his campaign against Ayers but still chairman the party
i ez ipa eIectnn from .hat il o