The people's voice., 1941-08-20

sents the temptation to perhaps over
do it becomes almost irresistible and
[ hope the editor will be indulgent.
There is just one other point in Mr..
Maury's article which should not pass
unnoticed.
His defeat for the presidency of
Montana Bar Association at the re-
cent annual convention In Butte by a
vote of 50 to Is (many members hav-
ing gone home) was not d personal
defeat. The question of personal
popularity was not involvel. Butte is
the hot-bed of opposition to bar in
tegration and Mr.. Maury is generally
credited with leadership of that op-
position. Were he elected president
the movement would be stalled il
not actually killed, if he could ac-
complish that end. The proponents
of the movement had sought to avoid
making it an issue at the Butte meet
ing because of the heavy opposition
to it among the lawyers of that city.
Mr. Maury had clearly indicated his
motions during the meeting, one of
which was laid on the table on my
motion and the other defeated by an
adverse chair ruling which was sus-
tanned on appeal to the body of the
convention by Mr.. Maury. The vote
was decisive in each instance. But
it was not enough. Mr..
Maury and his supporters in opposi-
tion to bar integration came back for
more when he was nominated for the
That time they got it by
ballot vote as stated above. 1t was
not vote for or against anyone. 1t
was vote for or against bar integra-
ton for Montana. There is no room
for any other construction of it. When
bar integration can get vote of that
kind in Butte, where a of the 100
or more lawyers of that city petit
toned the supreme court against it
and none petitioned for it, there is
at least room for hope that Montana
may eventually join Idaho, North
Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 10 other
states of the union in this forward
for the improvement of
The administration of justice and the
of an honorable profession
10 public confidence and respect.
There are other statements in the
Maury article worthy of attention but
by way of refutation only, for they
are not accurate statements of fact.
President DeKalb did not by any
stretch of half way fair interpreta
ion OF his address advocate the re-
peal of all laws giving people the
initiative and referendum" nor de
)lore the constitutional amendment
hat United States senators be elected
)y the people" But even though he
lid it does not follow that any con-
siderable number of members OF the |
association agree with him. The |
honorable H. Leonard DeKalb and |
he Honorable II. Lowndes Maury are
as representative of consery- I
tive and radical views on social, po-
itical and economic questions as
here are in the association. There |
re all shades in between. Presi- I
Ients OF the association are not |
hosen because or on account of such !
Jews, but because of their services |
0 the organization, the period of such /
ervices and their personal and pro- |
essional standing with their fellow |
members. Any other consideration /
S the rare exception, not the rule. 1t
vas the exception in the case of Mr..
Iaury's recent candidacy. He was
,ut forward as the candidate of those
opposed to the type of bar organiza-
ion the lawyers of every state border
ng on Montana have and like after
air trial. The issue was as clear as
aylight and there was no other issue
10 matter how hard Mr.. Maury tries
0 make it appear that the issue was
etween liberalism and reaction. So
ar as reform and progress in bar or
anization is concerned, Dear Old"
.owndes Maury is the most hide
ound reactionary in Montana.