The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-09-12
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER ~, 1902.
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.

With the near approach of the com
ing campaign the political atmosphere
of the state begins to clear. While
Tom Carter will have undisputed con-
troll of the republican party, Clark
and Heinze are to fight it out for
supremacy in the democratic ranks.
In the last legislative assembly
Clark's influence was cast against
Mr.. Heinze in the latter's efforts to
secure legislation hostile to the
Amalgamated Copper company, and
whatever the motive, Mr.. Clark has
elected to assume the same attitude
in the coming campaign. This is a
matter OF Indifference to the ordinary
citizen, for whether Mr.. Clark, Mr.
Heinze or the Amalgamated are in
control, it is heads they win and
tails the people lose. The farmer and
the laboring man pay eighty per cent
OF the taxes while the banks. corpo-
rations and money lenders are prac-
tically exempt. The railroads rob
the farmers and producers with i'm
punlty, but none of these matters
seem to be of sufficient Importance to
receive the attention of the bosses.
When thieves fall out honest men get
their dues, and it may be that the
present fight will inure to the benefit
of the common people as it did in the
enactment of the eight-hour law. But
there is nothing at present in sight
and no material benefit could com
pensate for the political and moral
degradation that will be wrought bv
the bribery and corruption of the
coming campaign. With money being
poured out like water, the era of cor
ruption inaugurated by Mr.. Clark four
years ago is still to continue, and woe
is the people of Montana.
That the contest should degener-
ate into struggle for control of the
courts is most deplorable, but such is
the natural sequence of the Doodle
campaigns of the past The rank
and file of all parties will oppose the
domination of the courts by either
Heinze or the Amalgamated, but
without control of the machinery of
nomination such opposition will be
impotent.
Membership in the legislative as
sembly of the state, instead of being
an office of dignity and honor without
profit, has come to be a plum after
which politicians and boodlers are
struggling like mad
No thought is given to the needs of
the people in the matter of legislat-
ion, every candidate being intent on
ly upon securing a position which he
may use to feather his own filthy
nest,
While MOntana's mineral wealth
has brought prosperity and rapid de
yelopment to the state it has also
brought about conditions which seem
destined to well nigh overwheIm the
political integrity of the common
wealth With two giant corporations
flghting for control of the supreme
court and the legislature of the state
it seems impossible for citizen or
newspaper to express an opinion
without being classed with one fac
ton or the other, and if a man is
mentioned as a possible candidate for
the supreme bench he is immediate,
~ branded by one side or the other
as tool of the opposing faction.
The plain people-"the hewers of
wood and drawers of water"-have
it within their power to take COM
mand and eliminate all factions and
all boodlers Whether they will
unite to do so remains to be seen.
Without assuming to be wiser or.
better than its neighbors, the Bee will
endeavor to support those candi-
dates whom it believes to be worthy
OF confidence. while opposing those
who are venal and corrupt
IM OH n AaaCCnun