The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-09-23
THE DEMOCRATIC ckE

WIN SAPOSIOu VI LAO 4OpuUAA
cans of Yellowstone county has beer
cut out for them and it only remains
for them to show their ability to sue
cessfully accomplish the task to
which they must apply themselves
That they are able to do it cannot be
doubted, but they must not expect tc
win without an effort. The ticket
nominated at last Saturdays demo
cratic convention possesses the
strength of personal popularity Of
the candidates composing it. The
principles for which they stand are
not such as should appeal to the vot.
ers Of the county. One Of the prin-
cipal planks of the platform on which
their candidacy rests is a reafirma-
ton Of their belief in the Kansas City
platform. BY this declaration they
give notice that they believe in the
Bryan idea of a debased currency
and the democratic policy of free
trade, two political tenets that have
been twice %repudiated by the people
Of the nation because of their utter
variance with everything calculated
to bring prosperity to the country and
enable tito continue to occupy its *
| allied position of being the most pros
porous and the wealthiest nation in
the world. 15
The gepet3emen who are asking the
support Of the voters of Yellowstone
county, could; they have their way,
would undosstall that has been done by
the republican party to bring plenty
and happiness to it's people. They
would remove the tariff which has
made it possible to build up the wool
industry of the county until today it
can boast of having the greatest mi
tial market of the raw product in the
world. They would remove the bars
that keep out the product of the
flocks of Canada and ether foreign
countries and~compel the flockmas-
tiers who are their neighbors and
friends to come into competition with
the untaxed wool produced in lands
where the cost of production is but
little above that entailed upon the
slave owner; where men work for a
mere pittance and where labor is but
one remove above that Of peonaget and
slavery. Having removed the tariff,
they would next compel them to ac-
cept pay for their product in a de-
based and deprecated currency. In
stead of receiving money worth it's
face value all over the world, they
would force tlrem into the acceptance
Of money having a no more stable
value than the very commodity for
which they would EXCHANGE it. In
other words, the pittance they would
receive would be rendered all the
less valuable because of its unstable
ity and susceptibility to the fluctua-
tions to which it would be amenable
through the Vaccinations of the mon
ey powers.
These are the principles plainly put
for which stand the men who are now
asking the suffrage of the voters of
Yellowstone county. Personally The
Gazette does not wish to be under
stood as saying a word against them,
but they are on the wrong side of the
fence and the principles and policies
for which their candidacy stands are
wrong and inimical to everything that
gees to make the county and country
prosperous. Their election would
mean reputation of all that has con-
spired to bring about the existing
happy condition of affairs and endorse
ment OF policies that when tried show
ed they were not for the best inter-
ests Of the majority. The men of
Yellowstone county are too sensible
and too thoroughly awake to their
own interests to be guilty of any such
folly as is expected of them by the
democratic party. Personal regard
and personal likes should not be per-
mitted to enter into consideration of
the question now before the people.
should stand above men
and in the study of political effects
the true test is application of past
achievement. The democratic party.
has shown what may be expected CT
it should it again succeed in getting
into power. Likewise has the repub-
lican party shown what it's capacity
government is and what it does
the nation and the individuals
it. Comparison of the two
records should make il an easv matter