He earned the reputation as a savvy cattle trader.
He was an skilled manager and later co-owner of one of Montana's largest ranching empires. He was foreman of the Wellington Rankin Ranch, based in Martinsdale, and a few years after the death of Rankin - the legendary Montana lawyer and Jeannette Rankin's older brother - Galt married Rankin's widow, Louise.
All of these skills prepared Galt for a career in politics, where he was a pillar in the Montana Republican Party establishment for more than three decades.
Galt, who died Sept. 8, never shed that poker face and rarely tipped his hand in his 18 years in the state Legislature.
You won't find him mentioned in a lot of news stories. He said little publicly. Galt wasn't much for speeches, and grumbled when others talked at length. He thought a legislator should be able to make his point in a sentence or two at most.
Galt was a key force in shaping state policy on agricultural, livestock, water and related issues. That mostly meant protecting the status quo. He defended the rights of ranchers and landowners and resisted many of the changes proposed when the environmental movement surfaced in Montana in the 1970s.
The rancher did his best work behind the scenes and behind closed doors, along with the other top Senate Republicans of the day - most of whom went on to get elected to higher offices. They included future Supreme Court Chief Justice Jean Turnage of Polson, Gov. Stan Stephens of Havre, Lt. Gov. Allen Kolstad of Chester, and others such as Bill Mathers of Miles City and Pat Goodover of Great Falls.
These senators were the barons of the Republican Party and often helped choose their party's slate of candidates.
You could always tell which candidates the Republican Party establishment supported by reading the alphabetized campaign finance reports. When you saw a page or two filled with donors named Galt - Jack and Louise and the Galt children and their spouses and children - you knew that candidate had the blessing of mainstream Republicans. And the Galts usually maxed out in their donations.
Galt and most of these Republican senators were early backers of Ronald Reagan for president. They began working on Reagan's behalf in 1968, when Richard Nixon won the Republican nomination and the presidency, 12 years before Reagan eventually won.
He and others also toiled hard for Reagan in his losing challenge of sitting Republican President Gerald R. Ford in 1976. They regarded those who first supported Reagan in 1980 as Johnny-come-latelies, and remembered it when divvying up the federal appointments after Reagan's election.
Galt never ran for higher office. He was content running the massive ranch and serving as a part-time legislator.
He was an intimidating figure until you got to know him. Before legislative sessions began each day, the bald Galt sat at his desk on the Senate floor earnestly occupied. As I recall, he chain-smoked Pall Mall cigarettes, drank his coffee black and rapidly completed every crossword puzzle he could find in the morning newspapers.
You hated to interrupt his reverie, but sometimes it was necessary. Once Galt got to know a reporter, he was happy to answer a question or two, always briefly of course. Then he would make a wisecrack and break out in a big grin. Then it was on to the next crossword puzzle.
Galt had the fastest gavel in Montana. Senate leaders usually had Galt preside over potentially long, contentious debates because he could move things along rapidly.
He played a similar role for the Montana Republican Party, where he served several terms as its national committeeman. When Galt presided over a state platform convention, you knew Republicans would breeze through it in an hour at the most. His quick gavel and authoritative manner discouraged amendments and lengthy debates.
Galt could be a kind man. In 1984, I was covering the Republican National Convention in Dallas for the Great Falls Tribune, and Galt was a delegate. The temperatures were suffocating, over 100 degrees, with high humidity.
At the convention, reporters had to wait in long lines to get a 20-minute pass to go on the floor to interview delegates. Then they had to stand in line again for the next pass. It was a hassle.
The final day, Galt called me to his hotel room. He'd been in Dallas for a couple of weeks serving on various committees. He decided to watch Reagan give his acceptance speech on television from his air-conditioned hotel room instead of going to the convention.
He gave me his floor pass for the night. I've always appreciated his generosity.
Chuck Johnson is chief of the Lee Newspapers State Bureau in Helena. He can be reached at (800) 525-4920 or (406) 443-4920. His e-mail address is chuck.johnson@lee.net
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