The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-02-22
AN EDICT.

AN IMPOTENT EDICT.
The edict has gone forth. The
second senator must be a democrat.
None other will be tolerated. That
is the bald way Mr.. Clark's chief
mouthpiece puts it, and, of course, the
statement must be accepted as official
and final. Whether the order is cap
able of enforcement. is an entirely
different matter.
The labo1ites and populists, who
have all along been compelled to be
content with accepting what the dem
ocrats have seen fit to dole out to
them, seem at last to have decided to
assert themselves and lay claim to
what is justly theirs. 1t is very evil
dent that neither the threats nor ap-
peals of the democrats are going to
swerve them from their recently
formed resolution to maintain their
rights. The doleful wall telegraphed
from Washington to Mr.. CLARK will
probably have no greater force or
effect than his personal efforts to in
duce the little band to surrender and
yield blind obedience to the party
that has undertaken to dominate their
political actions. They know they
are right and have the courage to de-
fend that right. c
When the scheme of fusion was first
preached and then successfully accom-
plished, it was not with the under
standing, agreed or implied, that it
should have for it's sole object the ex-
altation of democrats. It was a pool
ing of issues, an amalgamatlon of in
terests in combination against a COM
non enemy. All the parties to the
easements and in the event of success
it was understood that a fair division
of the spoils would be made. Inas-
much as the combined contribution
to the pool made by the laborites and
populists more than equalled that of
the democrats, it is m%anifestly unfair
that the latter should now receive the
greater share of the proceeds. OF
course, they insist upon such a Division
NOT to do so would lay them open to
the suspicion of flying the wrong flag
and being other than what they rep
resent themselves.
On the side of the men who are sup
porting MacGinnis it is to be said that
they have acted honestly and fairly.
They gave their votes to Mr.. CLARK
and discharged their obligation to the
democrats. In return it is but proper
that they should demand of the demo-
Gratis that they, too, "tote fair" The
appointment Of Ferguson, the man
who betrayed them, does not satisfy
the labor men. The appointment was
an individual, not a party matter.
He sold out his party and now enjoys
the reward of his treachery. The party
itself is being ignored by the men
who gained the most by fusion and it's
members are bluntly told that they
should ask for no greater reward than
the honor they now enjoy the COM
partnership of democrats. 1t is posi-.
BILE that doing drudgery for democracy
lis an honor, but if SO, neither the la
Dor mon nor anybody else has eve1
been sensible of it.
In refusing to be coaxed or driven
into further acting as the tool of the
democrats the labor men and popu'
lists are manifesting political sense anG
Judgment which if exercised earlier il
the fight would have resulted in great
er benefits to themselves. II at the
opening of the legislative session they
had taken the stand they are now
making, instead of finding Themselves
in the position of mere o~bstructionistl
they would probably occupy the place
of dlctators, or at least be in a position
where their preferences and desires