The Oldest Profession . . . Talked About the Other 3 Yesterday!
Two years ago, while I sat in the galleries overlooking the Montana Legislative House of Representatives, elected representatives from all over the state, debated whether to legalize prostitution, in the Bakken Oil Fields. I was somewhat shocked, and interested, knowing little of Montana history, the treasures of the state, nor the new boom towns of eastern Montana, with their challenges of 100 men to 1 female, and the Department of Justice, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies, worried about the new money, making its way into drug and human body trafficking, as bus loads of girls, most sex slaves, have ventured a time or two on the streets of the oil boom towns, with workers, coming by train, bus, shuttles, planes, being in the cities for weeks, and then gone again, making it nearly impossible to track, investigate, track, arrest and try law breakers. Butte in its heyday, kept 1,000 working girls busy, so dates have changed, times have, but challenges and issues for the Treasure State remain constant . . .
On my first day, in Montana, I went straight to the state capitol building and picked up a copy of the Montana State Constitution, to see if I liked, what the state was all about. In my hotel, room, that night, there at the Jorgensen, I saw a 2012, campaign ad for Senator Tester, and really liked his message of non-partisan approaches to national problems, not knowing, or really caring whether he was a Democrat or Republican, this must have been March of 2012. But, someone at the Capitol, told me that I needed to get in touch with his office, and help with the Citizens United case before the United States Supreme Court, and Tester's office, directed me to Andy, then Governor Bullock's, chief deputy assistant attorney general, handling the case . . . so I tried to contact him, but the office was busy with that case, and other people I was told to get in contact with, where busy with, then, Montana Attorney General's, election bid for governor of the state. But as I did some research on the case, it was the first time, I had ever heard of the Copper Kings, corruption in state politics, and the history of anti-corruption laws, that would be at risk if the U.S. Supreme Court, were to do what they did, call corporations people, entitled to free speech, and that meant money as free speech to put unlimited monies into campaign contributions . . . overturning 100 years of Montana law!
Political Hot Button Issue, At Least Before I Left Utah, Was Trying to Change the 17th Amendment Back to the Way the Founding Fathers Originally Planned, Letting State Legislatures Select the Two State Senators
Getting into the history of Butte, the Copper Kings, especially Clark & Daly--Daly, whom by the way, was originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, bringing with him the Walker family fortune to purchase mining interests and eventually competed with Clark, from Pennsylvania . . . born in a log cabin, so all the kings were not from wealth, or families of eastern money and fame, like the Rockefeller's, the Heinz, or west coast families of fortune, George Hearst, father of Randolf Hearst. Clark was small with sharp features and a cold manner. He was a shrewd businessman with an eye for profit. He arrived in Montana in 1863 and started buying up silver mines and stamp mills from owners who could not pay back their bank loans. Eventually, Clark owned 13 copper and silver mines in Butte (and other mines across the west). He also owned many other businesses, including banks, smelters, and utility companies. Clark was politically ambitions, and his life goal was to serve in the U.S. Senate. It soon became clear that he would do anything to get there. (Politics and the Copper Kings, p. 194 to 195). LOL!
YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK MUCH FURTHER THAN CLARK TO SEE WHY CONGRESS CHANGED THE LAW, AND PASSED THE 17TH AMENDMENT!
Montana history, can give you a clue, as to why things had to change . . . the big money boys were in Montana, vying for industrial, financial, and political power, with their individual parties backing them. I got so bad, that the legislature could not determine who to send, so both parties, just sent two each, for a total of four Senators . . . the United States Constitution, states that each state, no matter what the size, only has two senators. That year Republicans controlled the U.S. Senate. They seated the two Republican senators and sent the two Democrats--including William Clark--home! Then next Senate election was in 1893. By this time Clark wanted to be a U.S. senator so much that he was willing to bribe (offer illegal payments) the legislaotrs for their votes. Daly wanted Clark defeated just as strongly. He found out how much Clark had bribed each legislator, then paid each one the same amount to change his vote!
The United States Senate was so shocked, being corrupt itself, at the blatant corruption, bribery and buying of votes, that they deemed the 17th amendment undemocratic, decided to bring the government closer to the people, and decided, that is would be a lot harder to bribe a whole state population, rather than a few legislators, so there, folks, you have the rest of the story! There is a national movement, a foot, wanting to get rid of the 17th amendment, you need look no further than Montana history, to see what was behind the amendment, and that it really is better to have the people vote, rather than the few hundred in the state houses of representatives, who are given to take bribes, practice corruption, and buy elections . . . Koch Brother, any thoughts on this one?
Clark & Daly Clashed--Location of the State Capitol
In one of my many trips back and forth between Montana and Utah, for about the first year and a half, while I was trying to kill my law practice in Utah, I heard something about, a fight between Butte and Helena, over which city was to be the capital city. For some reason, until yesterday, I was under the assumption, that there was something like a miner's boot, or something, kind of like trophies that are passed between rival football teams, when one wins the other the trophy, no matter how strange it might be, like an old boot, had tremendous significance to the cities involved. Ryan, the librarian, here at the Butte city library, that I believe, if memory serves from yesterday, was built in 1890, or parts of it were, and there is still a 1 cent gum machine on the second floor, that I love . . . now days, to get a bit of gum, you have to pay, 25 cents, and you get a whole mouthful, rather than just a taste, and you always have unwanted pennies, so my have gone to good use, while up here typing my blogs, but Ryan, looked puzzled at my idea of how the capital city was chosen, so he helped me pull some research, that you are now enjoying, hopefully, wild in and of itself, but, here is the real story . . .
State government is very important to the value of a city or town, because money pours into the community, pays for land and buildings, creates jobs in the area, and adds prestige to the town. It also gives local residents constant access to their state leaders, which was important to business tycoons like Clark and Daly. In 1892, voters were asked to choose between seven towns: Helena, Boulder, Bozeman, Butte, Deer Lodge, Great Falls, and Anaconda, this last one a town founded by Marcus Daly and named for his mining company. None of the choices won the majority vote or more than half of the vote, but the two top cities were Anaconda and Helena. So the next election, two years later, voters would decide between Helena and Anaconda, a perfect setup to pitch William A. Clark against Marcus Daly.
Once again, the copper kings battled to control the election. Daly wanted the capital in his own town of anaconda, the site of his huge copper smelter. but Clark had made a secret agreement with some Helena businessmen that he would support Helena as the capital if they would help him get elected to the u.S. Senate. Once again, Clark and Daly applied all their resources to persuade voters. They sponsored parades, speeches, and fireworks. They distributed free cigars, drinks, and $5 bills to win people's loyalty. Clark handed out miniature men's shirt collars made of copper to symbolize the stranglehold the Anaconda Mining Company would have on Montana if Anaconda won. Daly opened Anaconda for Capital clubs across the state and turned them into social centers.
Both men owned newspapers, and purchased them, strictly to have more influence, and paid editors to support their causes. During this Christmas Season, the Montana Standard Newspaper, had included some vintage newsprint and pictures from the old, Butte Miner that Clark owned. Daly owned the Anaconda Standard, and later purchased the Great Falls Tribune, many other small town weekly editors also took their orders from Clark and Daly. It was a close election, with Helena winning, 27,028, to 25,118. Later is was said that Clark had spent nearly $500,000 on the capital fight and that Daly had spent more than $2.5 million. Since only 52,000 men could vote, the two copper kins had spent $56 (equal to $1,356 today) per voting man! Amazing . . . Clark was considered a hero in Helena, by campaigning for its election as the state capital, instead of Anaconda. Clark made it to the U.S. Senate, but this was the time the Congress refused to seat him! He did, later win, but had a lack luster term of office . . .
Some Fun Facts, Stories, Folklore I Picked Up Over Dinner at the Butte Rescue Mission . . . Rescued Me, after Vegas Fiasco . . . Thanks!
I was excited to learn about Butte, which has so many connections to politics, money, cases, corruption, bribes, challenges for boom towns, connections back to Utah, and the battle over the 17th amendment, that is still brewing in many states across the country, and I started talking to the locals, many who have been around long enough to have seen the boom days, worked a the famous M&M Bar, had tales of Indians slitting throats right in front of her at this wild bar, then just sitting and waiting for the police to show up. If my friend, who is related to Clark, and explorer team Lewis and Clark, was a bit hesitant to tell me anything, because she thought I was making fun of her ancestor, Clark . . . I handed her the research from the Politics and Copper Kings, a Century of Transformation, hand out, where I got a lot of this information, and showed her a picture of her relative, and told her, I thought he was awesome and a real player, not only in influencing state politics, but national as well, LOL! I love colorful characters, Butte is full of them, as is most of Montana, but the history, the times, the mines, the money, the labor unions, the labor disputes, the movie stars, this history is brimming with excitement, glory, triumph and entertainment.
LARGE AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION
Can you imagine, this woman, in her mid-sixties, literally had to have two body guards, to work as a waitress, and she was banging down, $700 to $800 per night, by today's standards, what a couple of thousand a night . . . not bad. She told me she had to fight off the working gals, for those of you who don't know what I am referring to, it was prostitutes. Butte was the biggest city in Montana at the time. A Deacon from the Episcopal Church, came to give us a scripture and message, before a great dinner, and he was also a member of the Butte Historical Society, and filled me in on some cool stuff too. There was a large black population here in Butte, they even had 4 of their own newspapers, worked in the mines, pulling down the wages everyone else was. I find that somewhat shocking, since, today, there are not many blacks in Montana, however, one of my black lovers, mystery man, was from here, back east originally, and took me to see some of the trails in the mountains around here, the ones that the Historic--Scenic Drive Committee, c/o Parks & Recreation Department is asking locals, to divulge where their favorite trails are, with a map, so that tourists, can share and do what Montanans do on their time off, hike, bike and fish in the mountains of the Greater Butte Silver Bow Area, which is unique, and many came to see the beauty of the area, that many Buttians take for granted.
100,000 CHINESE, MANY LIVING IN UNDERGROUND TUNNELS, THAT WENT FROM HOMES TO UNDERGROUND MINES . . . CHINESE MAFIA FROM BUTTE HAD TO CLEAR ALL CHINESE EMIGRANTS COMING HERE
My local friend, related to Clark, said that the M&M Bar, was eventually taken over by the mafia, who she said was big in this town . . . and they generally migrate to boom towns to get in on the action, well, the Chinese mafia, was not different. There was a Chinese mafia, leader known as a Tong, who was so powerful in Butte, that any Chinese citizen, who wanted to come to America, not just Butte, had to be cleared and approved by the mafia leaders here! Butte had the second largest population of Chinese in the country, second only to the San Francisco China Town. Butte had a ton of Irish--the Deacon told me that Butte was the largest supporter of the IRA in the world. Every country on the earth had people in Butte, especially the European countries.
Wanna Know the History of American Labor Unions, Look To Butte!
Daly, who originally owned the Anaconda Mining Company, was a kind of like good local boy, who understood the miners, their issues and took care of them; however, after he died, another breed of American capitalist and industrialist took over the running of the mines, and it became a business, rather than a family. Men were paid $3.65 per day, this was a company town. As relations, conditions in the mine, and tempers boiled, labor unions formed, to take on management. Eventually the Butte miners strike happened, and during World War I, the United States Government turned against in Butte, making up the Butte Mining Union, which was the largest union in the world at the time, and was under Irish leadership.
J.D. Ryan, of Standard Oil, in 1914, against the wishes of the BMU, fired 500 Finish miners, which led to riots, protests, and the blowing up of union buildings and threatening the union leaders. Then disaster hit Butte and the mines, with 400 men down in the mines, there was a damaged cable, that led to fire and poison, killing 168 miners, trapped in the mines, being the world's worst mining disaster to date. Those who went in to discover bodies, survivors, and whatever, found that the miners fingers were literally ground to the bones on their knuckles where they had tried to claw their was out of the underground tunnels.
After the disaster, the BMU, made 7 demands . . . I only got 6 of them, from the video I was watching, called, I believe, When Copper Was King, but here are the demands of the labor union: (1) recognition of the importance of mining, copper was in everything, is today also; (2) abolish right to work laws, making it illegal for unions to stop someone from going to work, crossing strike lines; (3) wages of $6.00 per day; (4) safety signs and features in the mines; (5) escape routes out of all tunnels in the mines; and (6) if I am reading my illegible notes, something about manholes, or another means of escape, when disaster hits. Even after 168 men were killed in the disaster, the management of Anaconda, said, no to all their demands, and the the strike was called!
15,000 STRIKING MINERS PARALYZED THE MIGHTY ANACONDA
Picket signs said that Anaconda was funded by German agents, strike bulletins, wanted the comfort of rights, respect, fair wages, safety, and the rallying cry was, that a man is worth more than a mule! The company has to feed the mules, and it costs them for the mules, not so with the men who work in the mines. The miners than had to face off against the federal government, as producers of strategic metals, the miners didn't want to work with England, whom they considered war crazy, Europeans, and they would have to fight side by side with the Brits, whom many of the Irish saw as an ethical issue. Later, the union leaders and strikers, and the biggest labor union in the world, was crushed by its own government, as acts of treason and sedition were levied against union and strike members, prosecuting them like criminals, with the National Guards being brought in to force the miners back to work!
A sad moment in Montana history, when their own Montana legislature, joined, rather than support the labor unions, saying they were going against the government, the Constitution, the American flag, and the uniforms their military were wearing. Butte miners, were, along with pressure from the federal government, tired for treason and sedition. To this day, miners, union men, in Butte, carry nothing but honor . . .
I can attest to that, as I was riding the bus this morning, we passed a local store, somewhere near McDonalds, I think, and the Christmas scene in the window, was of a pissed off miner, carrying his pick and hammer, and a mining hat with a light on top, and on a march of some sort, and sharing the same wall, was Santa Clause . . . mining brought good times to Butte, and it can again. There is rumor afoot, that a New Zealand company is trying to buy the mine, and reopen it . . . I would prefer an American company, given the rich history of this towns' mining culture, and really being the history of American industrial development and rise in world power, American jobs, are always preferred, and Americans loyal to our way of life . . . but, as a close second, New Zealand would not be bad. Hopefully something happens, if not, get the tourist here!
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