The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1945-06-22
Our Peril Is


purpose for existence is to spread
false propaganda to sustain our arti
fetal economy.
There are some slight changes that
might actually be made by our help
less people before the Missouri and
Columbia valley authorities disarm
by competition, some who supply the
money to corrupt Montana.
The expense of running our state
government is too high. When we had
no automobiles, and poor roads, we
needed county seats in communities
distant from our larger cities. The
people of the state would now be just
as well served by the abolition of
eight counties The legislature has
power to create, and can abolish,
counties.
We should study some improve
ments that have been recently made
in state governments elsewhere;
these not only cut down expenses,
but also seem to improve the govern
ment. For instance, our legislature
consists of Sc senators and 80 mem
bers of the house. California has
more counties than we have, and
seven million people-about Is times
our population. There are 40 mem
bers of the senate in California; 80
of the house. We could get more
efficient legislative work done, and
more personal responsibility, if we
had Is senators and 80 members of
the house., A reduction of our legis-
lature to this number would actually
be a saving in the expense account
of the entertainment committees pro-
vided every two years by the corpora
lions for our legislative assembly.
Our Constitution is out of date; it
was ratified in 1886 years ago. In
those days the people of the west
were being harangued by orators of
the Populist party. The purposes of
our Constitutional convention were to
curb the rise of peoples rights; now
a-days most of the purpose of the old
Populist party have been established
as law by the New Deal. Thus, our
Did, antiquated Constitution is in es-
,ential opposition to the economic !
Of the national govern |
nent. Another Constitutional conven-
ion should assemble.
We might learn from Nebraska;
heir new Constitution answers to the |
political ideas of the greatest Repub-
lean since Lincoln-George W. Norris. |
The Nebraska legislature has only one |
house with about two dozen members
n that house. The existence of a
body, the senate, in the |
United States, or in any state, is a
with Toryism. Nebraska
night teach us also in other ways.
from the National Geographic Maya
line of last month, l quote the fol-
owing:
with justifiable pride, the Ne
braskans advertise their state as
the white spot of the nation. They
have no bonded indebtedness, no
state income tax, no luxury tax; yet
their colleges and schools, their
roads, and other public works, are
fully abreast of the times"
The Nebraska Constitution forbids
he state to ever become indebted in
xcess of one hundred thousand dol
ars.
The loss of or great educator, DR..
Ielby, is symptomatic. 1t was an I'M
Explained accident that such a pro-
ressive, able man as Melby was ever
hosen by Board of Education of no
igher culture than the governor who
ppointed them; Melby did not fear
he mutterings of the company, but
Q figured company control had stifled
merican ideals so long in Montana
nat he could do very little to counter
ct it, and could spend his life and
ilents for better results elsewhere.
Every branch of our state govern
tent and now the university is lit
D from the company switchboard.
ur only hope for improvement is for
lie United States to invade the state
ON the east up the Missouri, and
ON the west up the Columbia, with
leir Valley Authorities. Then our
Dung people will joyfully return to
[ontana, rich beyond compare in
lines, timber, livestock, grain. God
as blessed our state. Man has made
un-American.
Our daily press often frightens us
bout the dangers Of radicalism. In
.ontana our peril is conservatism,
istained by purchase of elections.
LOWNDES MAURY. II