The people's voice., 1959-02-20

III CH6lT CdLlpdlSIlo, WillSu nave q Gull
siderable appeal, and cause people
to forget that the liquor interests
operate not by fright" but rather by
"sufferance". Using the sad expert
ences of prohibition days and the
chaotic prohibition days, Montana set
up the present system, and though
there may be some bugs in it, by
and large it has proven very salts
factory. i
The present system was necessary
because it has been amply proven the
liquor interests were not able to con-
troll themselves, nor was the public
willing to forego their drinking.
There is a very basic principle be-
hind the state store system, and at
no time was it set up for the purpose
of making money, but entirely for
regulation. The very substantial in
come has been mere by-the-way,
and happy as the by-the-way may be,
if the present system did not bring
in cent of revenue and the liquor
interest could guarantee millions we
still should not change.
l believe, should the liquor inter
ests gain control of the retail trade,
they would then insist on bringing
forth the legalized gambling bill that
was introduced this time. but which
died in committee.
I was accused of not having read
HB 4JS, which was 43 pages long.
/ plead guilty. do not think it was
to read it. 1t was wrong,
because it was wrong in principle.
Rep. Cerovski said he was against
the bill to put the liquor retail trade
in the hands of the dealers because
he didn't want to make a 'hero out
Of Hugo.
Rep. Hawks said he didn't care
Why or how it was killed just so it
vas killed.
was opposed to the constitutional
for constitutional con-
Iention, and think Minority Leader
Sumner Gerard put my fears into
words WI en- he spoke about the diff
ulty there might be in reaching con-
tructive conclusions with people
with divided loyalties'' who were
subject to pressure" as have some
1embers of the majority party been
4 this session.
Winfield Page (R-Missoula) also
poke of the state of flux the think
lg of the people is in at the present
me. He attributed this state of mind
our two major wars, which may
e right. For whatever reason. there
a lack of fundamental thinking
mong the people today, it seems to
le, and certainly the voters sent a
lmber OF Democrats to Helena this
me who had little basic philosophy
tneir political thinking. 1t has been
ard on them, because they have
uly suffered, I think.
Though L may most heartily dis
gree with the philosophy of the Re-
lbllcan side of the aisle. there can
no denying their ability to stick
. OONA vi VhAC Gl1ey USu6V6.
Because constitution should be
lsic, we would need people who have
e basic PHILOSOPHERS to wage the
tile. Jim Felt had some definite
eas on what he would like to see
me out of constitutional conven-
IN. Some of his ideas l have been
ie to put down in my story on the
bate on this issue elsewhere in the
per. Of all the proponents of a
W constitution he may have been
only one who knew exactly what
would do if he were to serve in
ch convention.
A lot of debate Wednesday. a
use members became weary was
how inconsistent everyone, was.
publicans accused Democrats and
e versa, but no one delved very q
eply into the inconsistencies. rsz-g
When the four major tax measures
ne up for third reading Wednesday
voting was accompanied by what
nded like an alarm clock ringing.
vas told this alarm had been con-
ted to the voting machine mech
pfsn- l.,