Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-14
THE FUSION COMBINE.

hathy with the aggregatiN of diverse
and irreconcilable elements which.
under the name of the fusion party
swept the state of Montana in the late
election. True. there was in its plat
form few propositions to which re-
-publicans generally gave their approval.
and which. lin fact, We're copied from
the republican platform; not, however.
because the congloNeration of ''isms"
which made up the fusion combinations
had any particular convictions upon any
uueSt ton. but because they We're regard
ed as necessary to success. But the
general purpose which animated and In
Spired the fusion press and its orators
was so rabdly anarchist.c. SO clearly
directed against the best interests of the
state. and so threatening in its attitude
towards invested capital and vested
rights in general that. in common with
all conservative citizens. we felt that
Their success would amount to a public
calamity. When their victory was
finally announced feeling of appre-
hension and, sense OF foreboding was
dscernible on almost every hand. for it
was felt that if the threats and menaces
SO publicly made were 20 be carried OUT
In legislation. the commonwealth had in
deed fallen upon an evil hour
Latterly. however. there have been in
dicat.ons that the policy of spoiation
and conffscation which the radical e.a-
ments of the fusion aggregation were
bent upo:s carrying into effect by special
legislation. is not to have altogether free
rein. Neither the governor nor the
lieutenant governor seem to be in en-
tire sympathy with the extremists
while a considerable number of the
ablest of the democrats in both house
and senate have expressed themselves
in terms which a credit to their
judgment. their sense of Justice and
their loyalty to the states true interests.
The situation is therefore some what
more encouraging, for it holds out the
hope that. with the aid of the repub-
leans in the legislature. who may be
relied upon to pursue a conserva
tive course. no legislation viii. succeed
which would tend to render present in
vestors from our borders.
But While having little sympathy with
the fusionist party, as stated above,
we cannot help noting what is trans
niring among them over at the capt
tai. Their troubles, of course, are moth
ing to US. In fact We rather enjoy
the rupture which has occurred, and if
Ii leads to a complete and permanent
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of a political combine,
unnatural in its inception, corrupt in
its practices and disreputable and dis
graceful in its methods and purposes
so much the better for all that is honest
and decent in. our politics, and much
the better for the future peace and Sc
curty of the state.
The fusion party was not organize
upon any basis of principle. 1t was
founded solely upon a division of the
spols of Office. Its impeiling. motive
was Selfishness of the grOSsest ant
meanest sort. No ray of patriotism ol
public spirit or desire for the publ,
good .llumined its course. The ele
ments which composed it possessed M
natural affinity. They had nothing il
common except to capture the offices
and now, as is common among al
brigands, political or otherwise. the,
are quarreling over the division of th
swag There is not enough consstenc.
among them to observe the old axiom
of ''honor among thieves
We are led to this last reflection b.
the reported action of the Lewis ant
Clarke county delegation in the legisia
ture in refusing to go into caucus 70
the purpose of nominating W. A. Clarl
for senator. Nothing possibly coul
more forcibly demonstrate the truth O
what we have here said about the char
acter and purpose of the fusion com
bine than the conduct of these eigh
men who We're elected on the fusio
legislative ticket. They We're nominate
and elected upon a platform expressl
and explicitly pledging them to the sur
port of Mr. Clark. and now the
deliberately refuse to carry out tina
pledge. Small wonder that the Helen
Independent loses it's temper in conten
platoon of such black lngratitude. an
reads these men a lecture in languas
which cuts with the snap and venom {
a buZZ-SaW.
That Mr. Clark was the principal ISIS,
in the campaign of the fusiOnists ever,
body knows. That the combinati.
never could have been organized witt
out his influence, and that the fig
never could have been won without h
money and his leadership is also u
knOwledged. But all this "cuts no ic
with certain element of the fusionis
They have learned the game of dem
cratic politics too we'll not to know ho
to play it. They won't miss any trick
and it will take some stronger Undue