The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1958-02-07

Wnen ne TOOK over ne COlu CilS Sio'
he would manage the ship of state
like he managed his own business anc
the crew sang jaunty chants about
being "on the go" with the massive
captain. .ls
AS he took command of the great
ship, he placed at the helm his trleo
and true first mate who believed IN
him and charted the course of the
ship in safe and calm waters. AS
the great ship began to move under
the new captain with his good first
mate at the helm the crew looked
and were impressed.
But there were members of the
crew who wanted to be officers and
advisors and who did not like the in
dependence of the strapping captain,
guided by his loyal first mate.
If the captain is allowed to go on
this way, they said, our influence
in the running of this ship will wane
and the crew will share some of the
wine in the casks, or some of the
ducks under glass, or even our caviar,
and this we don't intend to share with
anyone.
They held counsels of war in Sc
cluded places where neither the cap
tain or the deck hands could hear
what was going on and plotted their
strategy.
They found cohorts among mem
ho,. Of 41a xxyhA 1oI hn1fAnd
the mutiny and who had not been
chosen by the captain to high rank.
The plot had to be carried out
carefully, with finesse and aplomb,
with kindness never to be forgotten,
with flowers, compliments and favors
galore, because money would have
been scorned by this hardbitten man
and the suggestion of such thing
would have brought the plotters a
chance to dry on the yardarms be-
fore dropping into the sea.
These were master plotters and
they had won many battle by we'll
planned strategy, so once they had
worked out their campaign they
moved ahead with confidence.
They sowed seeds of dissatisfaction
within the ranks of the captains adj
visors so the captain himself was not
sure which point of the compass he
wanted to sail by.
He became restless with the COM
pass readings of his good first mate
and the loyal officer soon recognized |
he plot was to send him overheard.
The gangplank method was a tried
and certain way of disposing of dis
;idents.
The more restless the captain be-
zane the harder it was for the first
nate to steer a steady course until
finally it became impossible and he
stepped down so the captain could |
urn the helm over to the second
nate.
The second mate began to alter the
course and guide the ship of state by
quite another star. The seas gradu-
lily became rougher for the cap
ain, but rough seas, he told him
elf, had never bothered him before,
nd he could always fall back on his
hands and broad shoulders
o prove it.
All the while the plotters worked
n the ego of the captain, until he
ould look at the hands that were
osing their callouses and yet see
hem. Even as the captain of a great
hip he would rather talk about the
allouses than about the course the
hip was travelling or the reports of
ad weather ahead. He was slowly
ut surely falling prey to the propa-
anda of the plotters. ,
In the course of time the helm was {
anded to yet another mate, and soon '
lie captain was not even able to de- {
pher the compass readings and he {
'ok his daily exercise to port and '