Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-04-09
DOES NOT SUIT HIM.

e1aAAtA thh1Ch ~ W bS AS
satisfied with the progress and devel-
opment of Montana. 1t is neither fast
enough nor in the right direction &C.
cording to his views. In a recent in.
terview in the New York Commercial
Advertiser he is quoted as follows:
Montana stands unique among its
sister states. for its natural conditions
prevent the same harmony OF inter
ests among the inhabitants that ex-
lists in its sister states-Dakota and
Colorado for instance-where all the
citizens are working sturdily for the
development of their own state re-
sources. In Montana there is a con-
fict between the different activities.
The mining, and especially the cop
per interests. r extremely indiffer-
ent to the development of other and
equally important resources, and,
strange to say, the mineral which
has given the state its greatest fame
has conferred the least benefit upon
il, at least as far as its general
| growth is concerned, for as long as
the owners can dig ore and convert
it into ingots. which always go to en-
rich eastern capital, it is precious lit
tie they care for anything else.
THE grazers are more actively an.
tagonistic to the settlement Of the
state; naturally they would rather see
Montana one great pasture land from
east to west, and consequently they
bring all the power they can to OPP
pose its agricultural growth, and with
agriculture the industrial future OF
the state is i~ndissolubly connected,
for its rich deposits Of coal and iron
cannot be developed until the state
can support a manufacturing popula-
ton by its own cereals. Most infu.
entail of all the influences working
for this end are the railroads.&c.
Northern Pacific and the great trunk
lines are offering every inducement
to attract an infowing population and
the Montana man who grumbles at
the railroads grumbles at his greatest
be~nefactOr."
We believe Senator Gibson takes
an view OF the situation in
this state. Nearly every state In the
union has some few special or par
ticular industries for which they are
noted and the people of such states take
great pride in the fact. Montana is
a great mining and stockgrowing
state. These industries have made
the state famous and rendered 1t pos.
sible to maintain local and state gov
eminent. The mines have been the
means Of building up prosperous
towns and cities. IL is true that a
great deal of eastern capital has been
employed in developing our mines,
but how would they be developed
otherwise? Eastern capital has been
invested in the Mississippi valley
states and throughout the south in
the development Of many our
II nothing were realized investments
would cease and s%tagnation ensue. A
vast amount of money is spent in
building plants and for operating tx.
penses. This money when put into
circulation builds up and encourages
other industries.
We believe Mr.. Gibson magnifies
the hostility of the grazing interests
toward the farmers. AS a matter OF
fact so many of our farmers are also
"grazers" that il is hard to make q
distinction among them. When Sen.
ator Gibson was a ~''grazer' he did
not manifest such solicitude about the
agricultural growth of the state as
seems to have taken possession OF
him in very recent years. Montana
will never cut much of a figure as a
manufacturing state. though some
thing will be done in that line. Mr.
Gibson may be very anxious to dc
something now for the dear people,
but few will share in his latest pes
simistic wall.