Montana labor news., 1948-12-30
SUPPORT OF ANACONDA OWNED
PRESS WOULD UNDERMINE
SANTA CLAUS.
A LESSON IN JOURNALISM

A LESSON iN wv
In spite oil the number OF followers
OF Governor Dewey. rs shown by y
per cent OF the newspapers. the Gallup,
and other silly polls, and the millions
OF adhercnls OF President Truman,
proven by the election. ! still claim
that Santa Claus has more friends,
and less enemies. than either OF the
recent candidates. He has run success
iully-yes, unopposed. for 500 years.
Yet. while nationally. the Old Saint
can hold his place against anybody, the
Anaconda owned press IS itself 50 nm
popular, and so little trusted wherever
il is read. that ii the Billings Gazette,
the Helena (iorgot the nance, the Mon
tana Standard, Missoulian. etc, put on
a serious campaign with banner head
lines in favor OF the childrcn's percn-
NAL patron saint, such an alliance
might locally cos, the old fellow an
election.
This nadir in public disbelief and
disgust has not been quickly attained.
For many years are natural efforts OF
many smart, fairly liberal, journalists
in company service, have been censored
and choked BY biased, jealous, narrow
minded company lawyers.
For instance, Mr.. T. b. Weir is head
OF the Helena newspaper, the name OF
which | forget, and which is not worth
looking up. This is the same Mr.. Weir,
who, at the recent meeting Of the State
Bar Association, prevented the speech
Of Mr.. Justice Douglas OF the U. S,
Supreme Court from going over the
radio because he is a great liberal
Judge, and Mr.. Weir is a small town
short-sightcd, capitalist lawyer.
Mr.. ]. c. Darlington, Missoula coun-
sci Tor Montana Power Company, car
doubtless prevent the Missoulian iron
hcaHining THAT four months after
Pearl Harbor, the Standard Oil wa.
sending oil to a South American por
for re-dclivery TO Germany Yet, sucl
items interest the public.
The Montana Bar Association Tor A
years have been run by insurance com
pany and corporation lawyers. Mr.
Darlington was elected its president a
the meeting which smothered tn
Douglas address. 1t is not possible 70
a newspaper to do its duty by its sub
srribers. give them a return for thci
money, tell them OF events OF intcrcs
in the world, under such guidance.
Finally, the assumedly dumb publ,
wakes up. As Dcwcy's campaign man
ayers realized November 3rd, there arr
not so many culliblc Americans as the,
estimated.
The Butte papers employ som abb
editors, journalists, reporters. But al
realize that their jobs depend on no
publishing anything that the ACNi
Montana Power, legal department doe.
not relish.
Some years ago, an entire section o
Butte, about 700 feet wide, 5000 Zee
long. was undermined to an extent tia
residences, churches. apartment houses
stores, school buildings. became dan
gcrous Tor occupancy. A smaller calam
ity in a Pennsylvania coal town mcritct
an article i'll Golfers. OF immense ma
%,ional circulation. Every resident OF
and visitor tc, Butte say the Butt,
calamity. The fact that no mention
was made OF it in the Butte paper.
convinced every one III Southwestern
Montana that these sheets they wcr,
paying for performed no public iunc
ton; that they were proponents o
false propaganda.
One old colorcd woman got a yer
dict for $500 Tor the ruin oil her littl'
home, but the Circuit Court OF Appeal
reversed that one lone verdict, an,
charged Sl,275M costs against her.
The State Bar Association is com
pany controlled, but a fair majori,.
OF those lawyers that boycott the meet
ings are independent, and OF both mora
and mental courage. Against these, til,
corporation lawyers have ill-will an,
jealousy. The legal profession is
power for public opinion. The pres
can mould opinion quicker, but tn
lawyers do a better job il given time
For years there has been a rule tina
no matter how startling the case a.
outside lawyer is trying, his name shall
not appear in a company paper. Oi III
700 Montana lawyers, 600 by now scorl
and distrust the company press.
This curse OF jealous. silent treat
mcnt, continued for 80 years, has turne'
all the free lance lawyers against tn
newspapers and against the Wcirs, etc
whose fear OF competition dictates it.