The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-09-26

to dencunce the hypocrisy of the dem
! ocratic party under whose auspices
the county Of Silver Bow, controlled
by a large democratic majority, il
the only county in the state where
the courts have been charged with
undue subserviency to individual in
! terests.
We denounce the hypocrisy Of the
democratic party in claiming to be
favorable to the settlers. 1t cannot
be forgotten that the democratic par
ty inaugurated the policy Of making
homesteaders pay unreasonable prices
for lands acquired through Indian
treaties and it cannot be forgotten
that a republican congress and re.
publican president relieved the set.
tiers upon the Grow reservation from
the unjust burden inflicted by this
democratic policy, projected beyond
the Cleveland administration through
Mr.. Holman of Indiana.
While heartily accepting the CO.
operation of all political elements in
the work of reclaiming the arid lands,
we cannot refrain from calling
the attention of the electors to the
fact that President Roosevelt was the
first executive of the United States
to declare in favor of the policy of
government aid in reclaiming the
desert. BY his influence and through
his efforts, Notwithstanding determ-
ined democratic opposition, the pol
icy of government aid has been in
augurated and we call upon the cleo
tors Of Yellowstone county to approve
his action by their votes
Far from commenting, we con-
demn the tardy action of Senator
Clark and Senator Gibson and unpar-
donable neglect Of Representative
Edwards in failing to press for con
sideration in the house and senate the
bill providing for the opening of the
northern part of the Grow reserva-
tion to settlement. The bill had pass
ed the senate during the session Of
congress ending in March, 1901. The
bill as thus passed provided for free
homesteads on the land proposed to
be ceded. Such was the neglect and
oversight of the senators and the
representative from Montana that
this bill was not introduced and press
ed for consideration in the last con-
gress until so many months had
elapsed that it's passage during the
last session of congress became i'm
possible.
We denounce the unlawful fencing
of the public lands and commend the
administration for it's zeal in punish
ing such infractions of the law.
We favor the assessment of rail
roads and all other property owned
by corporations upon precisely the
same basis upon which the property
Of private individuals is assessed and
we pledge the senator and representa-
tive from Yellowstone county in be-
half of such legislation as will remove
from any board or small body of men
discretion in this behalf.
We approve the eight-hour law as
passed by the seventh legislative as
sembly chiefly through the aid of re-
publican votes and pledge the senator
and representative from Yellowstone
county to firmly stand by that enact
ment
We further pledge our candidates
for senator and representative and
our candidates for county offices as.
we'll to the enactment and execution
Of such laws as will result in radi-
cal decrease in the expenses of the
county and state government. /
We are unalterably opposed to fur
ther increase of salaried or other of
ficers in the state. We favor gen.