MovieChat Forums > Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Discussion > I don't understand something...

I don't understand something...

posted 15 years ago by Angel_Buffy
12 replies | jump to latest

Sorry, if this has been explained before, but I didn't understand something in the movie.

What I thought was the sneaky sneaky plot of Taylor's was, that he bought up the land around where they were going to build the dam, so he would make money when the goverment bought it from him. And I certainly thought that's what they tried to accuse Mr. Smith of.

If this wasn't the plot, then what was it? If it was however, why would it matter, whether the land was bought for the camp or the dam? The goverment would still be buying it. If they could convince people Smith, would make money from the camp, wouldn't they have been able to acutally do so, since they were the real people who owned the land? Alternatively, I now he didn't, but if Smith *had* really done what they accused him of, couldn't he have made the money, from the dam as easily as from the camp (therefore causing a hole in their frame-up of him)?

Sorry. There was probably something I missed or didn't understand. This is the type of thing that often confusses me in movies :-)

[–] iolausfan_1974 15 years ago

1. if he owned & the government bought..Smith was a boy ranger/scout & he felt that boys in his home state was looking up to him for an example of how to live/honest. He wanted the land to be a camp where all boys from the cities & country kids could enjoy the country life.
2. Smith was collecting money from the children & if he owned that land, it would been like he was stealing money from children.

"Frankly, My Dear...I Don't Give A Damn".-Rhett Butler

[–] Angel_Buffy 15 years ago

Yes, but I thought the bad guys were trying to make it look like he didn't care about the children, and was only after the money he would make from having the land bought for the camp, but if he was only after the money, like the bad guys tried to make it look, wouldn't he have made it from the dam as well, therefore causing a hole in their frame-up? An inversely, which is the real question I have, and what led my mind, to wonder about how they framed Smith, would not the bad guys, who were the actual people who owned the land, have made the money from the camp, just as easily as the would have, from the dam?

Sorry, if I'm being thick here. These type of things always confuse me in movies.

[–] Uncle_Stanley_McGoober 15 years ago

I wondered the same thing. It's a bit of a plot hole. My best explanation would be that Taylor and Paine would claim Smith didn't know about the dam building bill before he proposed his own bill and that it was just a coincidence that their proposed dam was on Smith's land.

Then, Smith's act of filibustering disproves this claim. By delaying the dam bill he is showing that it's not just the money that he would get either way if he actually owned the land. It is about the boys. Then again, his filibuster is also trying to prove he doesn't own the land.

[–] Tom_Cruises_Testicles 15 years ago

Yeah, this part always bothered. Especially since now its Smith's land. if they do build the dam, Taylor no longer has any claim to the land since its now owned by Smith. Didn't he just ruin his own plot for money to stop Smith from ruining it?

[–] ljspin 15 years ago

I don't know if I can help with understanding, but here goes:

Jefferson Smith's state was controlled politically by Jim Taylor and "the Taylor Machine." This included Smith's hero, Senator Joseph Paine. Taylor began to buy up land along Willett Creek, and his puppet, Paine, would introduce a bill into Congress requesting that a dam be built on the creek. A dam would bring benefits to the state -- irrigation, electricity, and so on. To construct the dam, land along the creek would have to be bought by the government, since it was a government sponsored dam, and Taylor would make a very nice profit. It is graft, and it is illegal.

Paine gives Jefferson the idea to write a bill, a project that would keep him out of trouble, never realizing that Jefferson would actually write one, and that this new bill would threaten the Willett Creek dam. How? Instead of a dam on Willett Creek, there would be a boys' camp. Why the problems? Well, according to Jefferson's bill, the land would be purchased, not by the government -- Congress would only okay the establishment of the camp -- but by the donations, the nickels and dimes of children. Yes, Taylor's land would have to be bought, but he would never make as big a profit from children as he would from the government. Also, what else did that Appropriations Bill say about the dam? There may have been other perks to Taylor and his cronies that would be ruined if Jefferson's bill is approved. Just look at Saunders' face when he tells her his idea. She knows it is going to throw a monkey wrench into the Taylor machine.

So Taylor will lose out if the camp is built. Why not bring Jefferson into the plot? Well, remember, they try. And Taylor tells him he will be broken if he doesn't give up on the idea. As I already stated, Taylor would never make as much money if the camp was built as he would with the dam. Jefferson, with his ideals, would never agree to collaborate with Taylor. (Even if the land was bought with donations for the camp, Taylor's profit would still be graft.) And to let Jefferson build his camp instead of the dam would break the power of the Taylor Machine.

Yes, they accuse Jefferson of trying to get graft with his camp, the same thing they were doing. However, they have covered their steps so well that no one can believe that Senator Joseph Paine is involved in such an illegal and nefarious plot. Look at the film: no one in Congress, including the congressional pages, can believe that Jefferson is innocent of graft. No one believes that the venerable Senator Joseph Paine could possibly be involved in something illegal. And Taylor is working in the shadows, so no one (outside of the machine) really knows how involved he is. And, since no one believes Jefferson's story and thinks he is guilty, Paine can still push his Appropriations Bill through Congress and Taylor can still get his graft. Jefferson doesn't own the land -- that's why he wants the boys to donate to buy it. With Jefferson out of the way, the original plan, which no one sees as wrong, can go through. Taylor makes money, Paine makes money, and their "machine" is still invisible.

A side note: the Taylor Machine is not totally unknown. Saunders, who has worked with Paine, knows all about it. Diz More and the other reporters also know about the corruption. But none of them are willing to stand up to it until they meet Jefferson Smith. Although they make fun of his idealism at first, they come to realize that this idealism is what this country should be about, and they become his allies in taking down the Taylor Machine.

This is how I see it. I know I've talked a long time and hope I haven't rambled. Let me know if I've helped any.

Spin

[–] wilkym 15 years ago

I think the camp was proposed at 200 acres, no where near the size of a creek that's dammed. Taylor would most likely be forced to sell 200 acres under eminent domain, probably a small part of the land he held, cheap. The rest would be worth considerably less with no possibility of the dam.

[–] Anorensic 10 years ago

You say Smith did not own the land, but no during the privileges committee meeting investigating Smith, one witness (the previous owner of the land) says that he deeded the land to Smith, along with a document to the deed with his (forged) signature on it. So from where I see, Smith would loose his reputation and his position but still own the deed to the land which means no dam, not profit for Taylor!!! Only thing he accomplished was destroy Smith..

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wat are you lookin' at...

[–] Thalog482 15 years ago

Jefferson Smith never got the opportunity to speak of the details of Section 40 before being accused, and the hearing against him was concerned only with the claim made by Paine.

[–] ljspin 15 years ago

You are right! Jefferson never really had the chance to defend himself, and that put him at a great disadvantage in defending himself against Senator Paine and the Taylor machine. Mea Culpa for neglecting this.

Spin

[–] Angel_Buffy 15 years ago

Thanks very very much! All this makes the movie a *lot* clearer to me. Thanks muchlies for replying, sorry I didn't respond sooner, I didn't notice there were new posts until just now.

But this does make a lot more sense now.

I'm still a little curious why no one in the movie ever wonders why Jefferson, if trying to commit graft, wouldn't be happy to hear about the dam being built instead of the camp, since that would make him just as much money, probably more, but as you say he never has a chance to defend himself. And all the other senators are so sure Paine is trustworthy.

Anyways. Thanks very much. That does all help a lot :-).

[–] Jason_Radley 13 years ago

But he did have a chance to defend himself at that privileges committee that he ran out of.

[–] mdonln 10 years ago

I'm still a little curious why no one in the movie ever wonders why Jefferson, if trying to commit graft, wouldn't be happy to hear about the dam being built instead of the camp, since that would make him just as much money, probably more, but as you say he never has a chance to defend himself. And all the other senators are so sure Paine is trustworthy.

Everything everyone's said here so far appears to be accurate but there's more.

The dam is supposed to look like Sen. Paine is doing his job; serving the people; working in the interest of his state; bringing in government dollars and creating jobs. Naturally, the dam benefits Taylor financially but also in other ways. If the dam bill passes and is funded, the machine can continue fooling the people. Taylor's hand-picked flunkies will remain in office and in power. Missteps could raise questions or cause voters to consider voting them out when they can. New blood, like Smith, threatens the machine's very existence.

Smith is being made to look bad; supporting his bill over the dam he seems to be failing his constituents, harming the state, flouting the public's trust, and abusing his office for personal benefit.

With his bill, Smith may not get a huge payday but he'd gain power, control, influence, status, goodwill, etc.; not only in his home state but nationally as the boys camp idea is supposed to grow and include all boys in the U.S. Those things are worth much more in the long run than money. The money can be deferred for later when it will come many multiple times greater and easier. If Smith was really corrupt, this would be a problem. Big powerful machines can be used for positive or negative purposes but I'd argue either way they're dangerous as power tends to corrupt most people.

In essence, the Taylor machine is accusing Smith of doing exactly what they're doing - manipulating the public for personal gain. The added blow to Smith and what makes it much worse, is he's supposedly willing to use children to do it. Let's not forget, that is how Smith was appointed Senator. He didn't have a machine per se but he did have the support of all those boys who talked him up to their parents, in particular, the Governor. Smith also has a newspaper and an army of boys who will soon grow up ready to support and vote for him.

Others in the state are aware of Taylor's corruption. The Governor's own wife and kids allude to it. Fear and/or the lack of power to confront him keep most people from going after or going up against the corruption. Taylor has people throughout the state in his pocket.

As we see in Smith's case, Taylor can, at a moment's notice, summon his vast network of crooks to do his bidding; whatever he says. He has the newspapers and other media outlets churn out false stories of the Senate proceedings. He starts a letter/telegram writing campaign to slam Smith. He has people take down Smith's paper. He has property records altered. He even goes as far as having people cause vehicle accidents, and otherwise attack and harm kids.

Though Smith has a national platform, he barely survives the attack against him. Imagine how easily Taylor could crush and wipe out most other opponents.