The Producers News

The Machine Age in Politics
by H. L. Maury

The recent primary of the Democratic Party in Montana marked a new era in Montana politics. The spectacle is familiar of political machines run by Marcus Daly, W. A. Clark, F. A. Heinze, the Anaconda Company, etc. Admitting their subversive influences, they did put money of the plutocracy in circulation among the needy. A new variety of political machine is being developed which by January first may become entirely automatic, running solely on the money of the taxpayers without need of any extrinsic corporate financing.

It has been said, "The Republican Party is a party. The Democratic party is a feud." The Oxilotl is first a fish; its transformation to a land living lizard is gradual. Each of the three feudist groups of "Democracy" in Montana in the last campaign was partially supported by the Big Business but each was receiving vital financial sustenance from the taxpayers' money. A complete transition seems close at hand when virtually all the campaign money will come from the taxpayers. Only "moral" and press help will be given by the large corporations. Instead of direct money payments for prostitution of governments, the professionals will receive only "theater tickets and buggy rides" from "entrenched Greed."

The recent Holt Feudists (now deceased in name but whose constituents will join the Wheeler-Ayers machine in a rush for the trough next November) were aided by the Northern Pacific and Anaconda Companies, but their powerful Flying Squadron was composed of Republicans and Democrats alike who drew salaries out of the Whiskey Profits, had expense accounts paid from the same fund, and often rode their campaigning circuits in State cars. Mitchell for Secretary of State and Holmes for Auditor and their deputies were factors in this machine. The penitentiary guards were of this fighting force.

The Romney Feudists were also prospered by public money. To quote Mr. Romney he employed much of his time traveling as a United States officeholder making "contacts" throughout the State for a year or more before he filed for Governor. Romney was Charlie Miller's candidate for governor. This machine was aided by Mitchell and Holmes. Its legal advisors were Rankin (republican) and Ford (republican). Miller's meteoric career in sucking state moneys commenced with a successful executive and legislative attack on the monopoly of state, county school district fire insurance enjoyed for thirty years by the Pacific Board of Fire Underwriters. Obtaining a monopoly for the Pearl of London on all state public insurance, he supplied Holmes, the Auditor, with an appraiser who raised rates on state property. Miller also bought on consignment whiskey for resale to the State. His sudden rise in the world enabled him to buy control of the Western Progressive. He also wrote insurance for the Montana Power and Anaconda. His paper thrived on Whiskey Ads. The Miller-Romney machine was more brazenly in politics for revenue only than the other two machines. For eight weeks, Miller boasted that his paper would name the governor. Romney consented when the expense was arranged for to resign his Federal job and become Miller's puppet.

The effective machine of the three was the Wheeler-Ayers Octopus. Every postmaster in the eastern district owed his appointment to Ayers. The Internal Revenue Office is named by Wheeler. The United States Marshal is Wheeler's appointee. Wheeler appoints such men as Hart. There are six or more assistants to the United States Attorney General in Montana in addition to the regular district attorney. Wheeler often picks staunch republicans for this work.

This accounts for the many republicans in the Democratic primary. The heads of the Highway Department joined this machine early. Much crude oil and gasoline is used in highway work. Quite naturally Dr. McGregor and Rockwood Brown drew to their aid "independent" oil men, such as Bill Rice and "Hard Rock" Coolidge.

While no such lavish campaign funds were provided by Rice and Coolidge as Holt had from Charlie Donnelly, President of Northern Pacific and other sources, yet the Wheeler-Ayers Machine was amply financed and did not spend in such silly, fulsome and disgusting manner as appeared from the grin and dimples of Elmer Holt on a half million posts in the state.

Wheeler is a much more shrewd manager than Holt. Poor boastful Charlie Miller was proclaiming his plans and publishing his allies. For six weeks before the primary, Holt was being touted in headlines in the nine company owned dailies. Wheeler uses his Montana Power and Anaconda press support as a side play-never as his main means of attack on the imaginations of the voters. Wheeler never boasts of his winking for eight years at the Montana Power Company's running away with the Flathead River Site. Wheeler's intimate acquaintances have even been expecting him since he became chairman of the committee on Interstate Commerce to make a great press play that he was trying to cut freight rates on wheat and machinery to and from Montana points.

The senior senator is swift to adopt the partly finished work of others. After months and months of work by Senator Murray to pull through the Buffalo Rapids Project to irrigate from the Yellowstone 86,000 acres near Glendive, Wheeler returning from an outing in Budapest, learns in Washington that Murray's efforts are about to succeed. "B. K." forthwith gets up a Chamber of Commerce dinner in Glendive at which he is the honor guest to glorify himself as the prime mover. This he requests heralded as a news event. At least Murray, who actually worked the Project through a dozen bureaus in Washington, should have been invited as a guest to the banquet, but that is not the way of "B. K." Why should Murray enjoy a corridor in corporate press buildings pried open through the years by blushing, bashful opposition of Wheeler?

Every independent candidate, except Freebourne, in the Democratic Primary went down to defeat. Emmons for Auditor, Brett for Secretary of State, St. George or Smith for Treasurer, Pilgeram for Railroad Commissioner, Replogle for Lieutenant Governor. (No machine ran any man against Freebourne. Foote, the republican, is allied with Wheeler). The deadly Macedonian Phalanx moved slowly but surely through the gallant, matchless but unorganized infantry of the free cities of Greece 2400 years ago. Thus ended the Glory of Athens. And thus will end all hope of an independent state government in Montana unless some new party of the people of this state is organized now or hereafter to combat the Wheeler-Ayers Machine heading in Washington to run Montana for the office holding lackeys.

Conspicuous about the Wheeler and dying Holt Machines is that nobody in either of them running for state office seems to own an acre of land, or pay any taxes, or produce a dollar of wealth. Skillfulness in avoiding payment of debts seems to be the criterion for advancement.

The Wheeler subsidiary corporation daily press on Monday, August 10, 1936, announced the death of Home Rule in Montana. The State Convention of the Democratic Party is called, according to these papers, by Senator Wheeler, Senator Murray, and ex-Congressman Roy E. Ayers. Is there no man identified recently in any way with the life, work, industry, business, or politics of Montana prominent enough to be mentioned in giving the call, or has the entire work of running this state government been transferred to Wheeler's office in the Senate Building? The electorate in Montana is highly mobile. Nine days before the Primary, Holt had Ayers beaten by 20,000 votes. The exposure of Holt's banking record deflected from him at least 30,000 votes.

If a third party, Farmer-Labor, would get that 30,000 mobile vote that switched from Holt and probably enough more to send the Wheeler, Ayers, Anaconda, Power Company Machine to the permanent discard.