The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-02
HERES AN OPEN LETTER
A Columbus Republican Gives
Good Advice to the Repub-
licans Of Billings.
NO MORE QUARRELING
Wants the Party to Get Together,
Bury Grievances and Work
for Principles.
t,olumhus Mont Ian 70

Columbus, Mont. Jan. 80.
10 the Republicans of Yellowstone
County: Willis tle two democratic
parties in Montana are down in Wash.
ington disgraoing the name Of our fair
state, we, certainly rs republicans, can
talk over in a candid, friendly manner
our little differences, aud by little
self.sacritice, plan winning campaign
for next November. Our opponents are
spending much time aud putting up
money to breed discomfort in our party,
and we look with suspicion ON any man
who attempts to stir up party disoord,
and respectfully ask our party leaders
to make no raply to their matchmaking
scheme, but to treat them with the
silent contempt which they deserve.
The question, "Who are the best re-.
publiouns?' Ia ill-timed and irrelevant
to success in Novembar. The leaders
who carried aloft the banner Of the re-
publican party in '98 were men Of great
courage and deserve recognition as
such, and will be mbered a. the
standard. bearers Of our party when de.
feat was inevitable. The silver reublj-
cans OF '98 are men Of equal courage
and fidelity, for, when their cause was
lost by the fair vote Of the American
people, they said: I'VE bear no NAL.
ice, 1--WE have a common cause. "we
will fight shoulder to shoulder with
you OH the platform Of '98 and let the
dead past bury its dead" Each side
has its grievance aud has been misun-
derstood, but what should we do?
In the dark days uf the revolution,
when Washington reputation was at
tackled; when men claimed he was
stealing the funds subscribed for the
starving soldiers at Valley Forge, he
did not Yetaliate as did Benedict Arnold
BY betrdying the cause. He said
"My patriotism ia greater than my
desire for personal popularity" While
Gates and Green were tho heroes Of the
north and south and were winning
popular victories with soldiers which
he had trained, Washington was quiet.
~ holding Clinton at New York. Not
till some years later did public opinion
place the credit where 1t belonged. We
must not all want pay In advance.
The best republicans are those who
bury personal grievances, who refuse to
quarrel with their colleagues, who
work for the ticket and vote the ticket.
And the republicans up the valley (and
we believe the republicans of Billings
and the east and north are with us),
will support such man for our leader,
and no other, whether he be gold or
silver man originally. We cannot live
on our past record. The boy who
works ia Of more value to us than the
powerful man who does nothing but
brag Of the "has been" days. The good
republicans OF the COS, 70's, SOS and
CO.'S must keep on being good republi-
cans, Their advice and leadership has
been most valuable in the past, but we
need " still,
Let US quit quarreling and vote n
strnlght ticket in November. The man
who cuts his ticket for personal reasons
evidently regards his spite superior to
the interests Of his party. He Is fight.
ing for himself, and his lower self,
too; not for principle. A political
party Ia not court Of justice in which
W tEy pNhb uulltIOWl uuu hD0luA OIlGuhSss
but u RALLY FOR THE FUTURE,
and planning the best for tomorrow for
ourselves and our friends. We cannot
"out" another member of our own par.
ty without injuring ourselves and our
friends az much as we hurt him.
The most Of the republicans up the
valley ar0 voting the ticket not for per.
sonal motives Of benefit or retaliation,
but because Of the republican party
because they know from experience the
democracy has brought Montana bust.
ness failure and disgrace at home and
abroad; that the republican admins
tration has given M good times and fair
prices for both labor and capital. We
want the good times to remain. We
are going to roll up good majority in
November for the whole republican
ticekt, be the candidates silver or gold
men originally; be they personal
friends or foes, and we ask the republi.
cans Of Billings to help us.