Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-08-28
OFFICIAL PAPER OF FERGUS COUNTY.
DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY.

DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY.
Like the buzzardtha feeds and wake
fat on carrion. the Democratic party
seeking To resuScitatc and strcngthc
itself through the agency of the grca
steel strike. \ calamity has alway
been regarded as Democratic opportun
ity. and it, party leaders, as well rs il
press, have never let the chance of an
pealing 10 prejudice and passion pas
by u~nimproved. In the greatest crisis
the Norest trial through which the ma
tion ever passed, the party crownc,
itself with iufamy and shamc-that o
the civil war. As a party il opposed
every mcasur for the prosecution o
that great conflict TO n successful issue
it yiliied Abraham Lincoln: abused ii,
soldiers in the field and those at home
on leave of absence; discouraged enlist.
mcnts in the army and famed the
passions pfthc people into riot in resist
ing drafts. That thousands of loyal
Democrats diSrrgardcd and rppuIiatcd
the party declarations and not only
gave moral support L Abraham Lin
coin and the Union cause, but willingly
gave their lives. is true. but this does
not alter the fact thatthc platform dec
larationS, rs well a. the utteranccs Of
the press Mt that time, were not only
infamous. but in any other country
than this would have been heldas treas.
enable.
When q great party viii take al
vantage of a national peril TO make
political capital il is not strange that
the same party. with all of It's old-timc
cus>edncss and disregard for decency
and sincerity. should take advantagcof
the present great steel strike for the
same purpose.
The hot-air dcmagogues and editorial
writers would have the laboring men
and artisans believe that the Demo-
cratic party is their special champion;
yet that party has caused more want,
sorrow and hunger among the wage
carners of America than all the strikes
that were even inauguratcd. That
party is not credited with a national
law in the interest of the laboring men,
though it succeeded in passing II that
gave them a stone instead Of bread.
idlencsS instead of employment and
misery instead Of the comforts of life.
In the light Of It's past record il is not
strange that some Of the editors Of the
Democratic press ri this state should
call the present steel strike 9 hepub
lican strike and insist that President
Mckinley should stop it. Injured to
defending corruption and doing their
masters will, prcyaricating is regarded
as a virtue. Anything that emanates
from the Helena Independent can have
but little weight with the people. The
peculiar characteristics OF the space
writer u that paper are well known.
While no party Is responsible for the
great trusts that have grown mp in this
country in the past few years, the
Republican party did attempt to put
the trusts under government control by
the means 81 an amendment to the con
stitation, bit only a half dozen Demo
cratic members Of the house could be
found TO favor the proposition. As
Congressman Richardson Of Tennessee
"a The Democrats could not afford
20 let the Republicans go into the cam
paign with such a law to their credit
The trusts should be placed under
control Of the general government, and
the sooner both partie, set 10 work
with that end in view the better it will
be for the country.
While the Democrats have succeeded
in hoodwiuking some of the laboring
men Of this country with its false pre-
tensions Of ,ympathy-and that lsabon
all il has ever oifcrrd-it has not sue
cecded with the great majority IN lat
vcar,. They had one experience tina
they will never forget. Whatever thei
grievances. they wcrc sensible cnous
not la strike for anything under tn
Democratic administration, when theI
was lint little demand for labor, skille