The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1951-03-30

| the state was very young-the men, or
CARNATIONS or parties that brought
good Legislation about.
! In those early days of Montana the
first most serious problem to confront
us was to elect a member to the us
! Senate. This was done by the state
/ legislature at that time. The us. SEN
ate was then dubbed the "millionaires
club" as it was hard to get elected to
that body unless one were well fixed
with cash. Much time and much money
was spent to elect a Senator and the
people finally were aroused. The
The Peoples party that was getting
strong took it up, and with the help
of progressive men from the old par
ties, succeeded in bringing about the
election of Senators by popular vote.
POPULIsTs, SOCIALISTS. SPONSORED
MANY REFORMS
The Populists built many reforms in
to their platform, such as government
ownership of railroads, tax exemption
on homes and improvements, income
tax and many others. In the election
of 1898 they, with the silver Republic
cans and the silver Democrats, suf-
fered a bad defeat on national issues
The gold bugs won and the Popu-
lists gradually disintegrated
About that time the Socialist Party
was organized by Eugene Debs and
Montana towns, but succeeded in elect
ing only few members to the legis-
lature. In Kalispell one Socialist al
dlerman-'Old Man Jones-but he took
the lead in the city taking over the
water system that the people were
much dissatisfied with. The Socialists
issued a small weekly paper devoted
entirely to the public ownership of the
water system. People from all parties
joined in and Kalispell soon had one |
of the best, if not the best water sys-
tenn in Montana.
In Butte, too, the Socialists accomp- |
lished some good for the common peo-
pie and had for some time their own |
printing press. When World War |
came on the party split into factions |
and became impotent except in some |
small eastern towns and Milwaukee.
When Bob LaFollette started his |
Progressive Party the Socialists join
ed in the campaign that put up Wig
Orous and enthusiastic fight to elect
LaFOllette and b. K. Wheeler as Pres
ident and vice president. While the
party made a good showing in Mon
tana and cast over 5 million votes in
the nation, only minor offices were
filled by Progressives outside of Wis
consin. which state at that time was
considered the most progressive in the
union. 1t was LaFollette that got our
W
Pot Dome.
JOE DIXSON-A "BULL MOOSER"
And, we must not overlook the Bull j
Moose rebellion of 1912-the small left +
wing of the COP was not satisfied with
the way good-natured william Taft and
the supreme court was running things
so the Bull Moose movement was start
ed with the indomitable Teddy Roose-
Welt as their Presidential candidate.
Taft was the choice of the right wing
Of the COP 1t was a grand race and
Teddy came in second best but it help
ed to elect Woodrow Wilson. Joe Dix
IN was Teddy's campaign manager, T.
md later became Governor of Mon
ana He was a good and liberal mind
I'd man and to him more than anybody
Else must be given the credit for CIV
ng us the metal mines tax, tax i'm
posed on the mines in Montana-not :
passed just like Dixon wanted it, but
still a much needed help to the financ f:
IS of the state. Dixon did not die a .
'ich man as no one does who takes up
he poor mans burden. The Bull Moose /:
strain of the COP turned out many :
bile liberal men, but not many enough :
o push the static elephant forward. /.
will mention but one, Harold Ickes,
Who is still a small free lance army
or democracy, all by himself.
LEAGUE ROLLED LIKE A PRAIRIE
FIRE .
The next reform wave that struck
Iontana after the Bull Moose was the :
League, which as we
now. was started in North Dakota :
" Townley, and rolled over Montana :
ike a prairie fire The League stood /.
or much the same as the old Peoples
'arty did 25 years before, but did not :
ave the government ownership of .
ailroads in it's platforms. Instead =
had Torrents title to land system,
state income tax, state bank :
nd some other reforms. The NPL
ut up a vigorous and splendid fight :
Or these progressive measures, but .
30 much money was spent to defeat
hem. Never was such fear and .
NEAR campaign hurled against a re- =