The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-06-21
FRIDAY, JUNE 81. 1901.
KANSAS CITY WEAkLlNG.

The ~accouchment at Kansas City,
over which SO much fuss and noise
was made, has added only another
weakling to the list Of political par
ties born during the past quarter of
q century or so. While those re-
sponsible for its birth, like all fond
and proud parents, seem to be pos
sessed of great ambitions al to the
future Of their offspring and appar-
emily sincerely believe that it is des-
tined to make q mark in the world
into which it has been ushered with
out its consent or advice, the condi-
tions under which it was born are
not such as to justify the hopes Of
its ~progenitors. Begotten at a time
when no necessity existed for an
other political party and with a par
entage that must always be a handi-
cap, no matter what the tendency
and aims of the child may be, it's fu-
ture does not appear to hold much
in store for it. At best it can only
be said to be a child of discomfort,
nursed at the breast of demagogy and
socialism, flowing a stream of n
archy and rancor. With the care and
attention it will no doubt receive for
a time it may be expected to
IAN appearance of thrift and strength,
but it's apparent growth will be short
lived, even as the child itself is des-
tined to survive only a short time.
The men who have infused into it
q weak spark of life may be depend
ed upon to themselves desert it as
soon as it begins to manifest symp-
toms of losing vitality and take up
with some other. that holds out great
er promise of endurance and devel-
opment. It is their nature to do so
and they cannot help it. Their po-
litical history proves this, as they
have been fathers to other like chill
dren, only to abandon them for others
of brighter promises for the future.
But what a queer mixture OF
dreams and political impossibilities
the platform, as set forth in the reso-
iutions adopted, contains. Merri-
wether being one of the principal or
ganizers of the new party, 1t, of
course, goes in strong for public own
ership of public utilities. That's Mr..
Merriwether's hobby and he was
given a chance to ride it to his hearts
content. It would not have been a
new" party had not the fallacy OF
initiative and referendum been in
c%orporated as n of the cardinal
principles of the nondescript. No
man who has ever aspired in recent
years to become the founder of q
new party, one that is to revolion;ze
existing methods and lead the ration
to a higher and nobler plane, in fact
place it onto the very pinnacle of
governmental perfection, has omit
ted the initiative and referendum
from his scheme Of political better.
ment, hence the new party would not
have lived up to tradition had this
important time not been given a
prominent place in its exposition OF
principles and declaration of faith
The demand for a currency based OF
the volume of business is another
honored tradition among organizers
of political parties. For some rea
son it was seen fit to deviate from
the usual course in that nothing wal
said about making the currency elias
ulation. Perhaps it was thought tina
the other demand covered this on
also. Anothere noticeable feature il
connection with the resolutions il
that nothing was said about the FREE
and unlimited coinage of silver an,
the stcrime of "a" also failed to re
ceive even as much as a mention
How the 'tsilver republicans" wer
brought to consent to this and hoy
the Bryan democrats were mollife'
and quieted is n of the secrets o
the meeting. But whatever cours
was pursued in bringing about thes
APPARENTLY impossible results, the,
speak well for the diplomacy Of Mel
riwether and Foster. It is berel.
ossible that by the insertion of tn
referring to the employment
lice to prevent riot and mul
the times of strikes an,
e the democrats wer'
their demands appeased
lie Of us we cannot se
llvef republicans" wer
luiesce. But It II only a.