The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-10-21
~ Said Mr.. Downing When He Intro
dnced Mr.. Dixon at the
Opera House.
M0ntana's Present and Next Congress
man Talks lntelligcntly on Mat
tiers of Importance.
Messrs. MailOney and BickfOrd Lend
Their Voices for the Great
Cause Of Democracy.

The presence Of Congressman Dixon.
and Hon. W. NJ. Bickford in the city and
the announcement that they would speak
at the opera house Wednesday. lent an in
spiration to the local democracy. and en-
thusiasm was everywhere apparent. The
general good feeling at the democratic
headquarters was Widespread, The
Collins Guards, under Captain Verge.
were out in force, and they marched to
martial music, every drum beat seeming
to sound the defeat of the opponents of
democracy, The parade was large and
when the procession reached the opera
house that structure already contained
hundreds of people.
Congressman Dixon and Messrs. Bick-
ford. Mahoney. Gallagher. Downing.
Cornelius. Wegner. Mullan. Scott,
Schoenfeld, Pontct. Casey. Cockrill,
Finn, Schultz. Doyle, were on the stage.
The following gentlemen represented
the Afro.American democratic club and
also had seats on the stage: Messrs.
Lawson, Henderson and Little.
Just before the speaking began, IA gray
haired man vas seen walking down the
aisle toward the stage. He was met at
the steps by Mr.. W. NJ. Cockrill and es-
corted to IA seat. The old gentleman
vas Judge Jewell, 81 years of age. who
voted for Andrew jackson. and who is
today as hale and vigorous as many men
of 40.
w. q. Downing acted as chairman. lie
| spoke briefly in eulogy of the democratic
party and referring to Congressman
Dixon said it behooved the people of
Montana as loyal and intelligent voters
to elect a man to congress who is com
petent to represent the interests of the
people and he took pleasure in introduce
ing to them William Writ Dixon upon
whose official action and private life not
a single criticism could be made.
The announcement was greeted with a
storm of applause. After it subsidized
Mr.. Dixon said that we are rapidly ap-
preaching an important election, and it
is time that every man should consider
seriously what he is to dc. The contest
has narrowed down to a contest between
the two great parties the democratic
and the republican parties. I'm saying
this he said he did not overlook the peo-
Piles party, which WAS composed of a
large body of intelligent men. The re-
publican journals and the republican
stump orators were devoting a good por-
ton of their time to a general d%enuncia-
ton and abuse of the peoples party, but
this he did not intend to do.
lie recognized the right of
the peoples party to organize
themselves. He did not want to be mis-
understood. He did not agree with the
peoples party. 1t seemed as if the end
they wanted to attain was the right one,
but he differed with them in the way
they proposed doing so. They were de
sirous of d~elegating too many powers to
the general government. 1t has always
been a cardinal principle of democracy
to limit the powers of the general gov
eminent. The peoples party want to
centralize governmental power. They
want the government to take care of the
people-to regulate all the affairs of the
nation. He did not believe the people
needed to have tine government take care
of them. The American people are album
dainty able to take care of themselves.
In this respect the peoples party were
mistaken. To the democrats in the
ranks of the peoples party and to the
democrats everywhere he wanted to en-
phasize the statement that the interests
of the people lie in the support Of the
democratic party and its principles.
Among the large mass OF the people IN
the United States there is a feeling Of
discomfort feeling that there should be
a change in legislation on the part of the
national government. In etfecting this
change the peoples party cannot be sue
cessful. In the present congress there
are two farmers alliance men in the
senate and nine in the house Of repre-
sentativee. How long. therefore must it
be before the peoples party will have a
sufficient force in congress to carry out
the changes they desire. The contest is
now as in former years between the
two great parties and the democratic
party is today the party of the people.
The speaker said that in his discus
sion Of the issues he wanted his hearers
to bear in mind the past history Of the
democratic party. He wanted them
10 remember tne epuDllca party hau
been practically in control of the coun-
try since 1861. The democratic party
has not had a fair chance. 1t las never
had complete control of natioral affairs
never had an opportunity of showing
what it could do or of carrying out it's
pledges.
MIR. Dixon next spoke of the mineral
land bill. He told how in 1864 the
Northern Pacific railroad company had