The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-04-14
zWEIBUND

Messrs. Hearst and Harrison have it
tons to be the nominee of the demo-
cratic party for the honor of being
defeated by Roosevelt. They have en-
tered into a compact by which
+, Hearst's yellow sheets are to boom
Harrison if it be deemed wise that
the democratic candidate should com
from the west, and Hearst is to be CIV
en- the support Of Harrison if an east
ern man be %perferred.
Now this is very nice and gives evil
dence of exceeding length of head on
the part OF the two young fellows, but
the trouble is that neither one may
be selected to make the race, a con
tingency they have evidently not TAX
en- into consideration as at all likely.
1t is true that Bryan is credited with
a leaning toward Hearst, and also
very probably he might be induced to
accept the Chicagoan, but unfortunate
ly for him and the two others, he is
not all there is to the party, notwith-
standing his very emphatic opinion to
the contrary. Much of a figure as he
continues to cut in the democratic
disorganization, he is not the whole
thing" as he will most likely realize
after time shall have advanced him a
b 1;+41o ,noror RI tho f,,t,,ro
1t is as a political game, perhaps,
that the little scheme Of the two men
will appeal strongest to a certain kind
of politicians. To use the vernacu-
lar most familiar to the men who
would support the candidacy of the
California born gentleman, it is in
tended to "catch 'em coming and go
ing" While he now assumes to be an
eastern man, he is a native of the
west and retains about as many in
terests in California az he has in New
York. If advanced as the casts can
didate the western wing of the rem
nants of democracy would ask support
for him on the ground that he is
eminently a western man, although
for business purposes a resident of
the east, and attempt to gain strength
for him by an appeal to sectional feel
ing. In the east he would be exploit
ed as a representative OF that section
and nothing would be heard concern
ing his western ideas and predelic-
tions. II something. perchance. were
to be said about his support of Bryan
and the western democratic notions in
1896 and again in 1900 that could be
brushed aside by referring to his re-
generation as evidenced by his return
to the original fold. Another argu-
ment that could be advanced would
be the strength he possessed in the
west, for despite the assumed indiffer-
ence of the east to the opinions and
wishes of the west, when it comes to
a national compaign western votes
are sought with an eagerness and dill
'gence that show plainly the esteem
in which they are held as regards
their ability to make a majority pos
sible.
The agreement between the two
plotters speaks we'll for the shrewd-
ness of the native son." 1t is safe
to say that he was fully awake to the
advantages he possessed when he en-
tered into it. How Harrison could be
induced to become a party to it is not
quite so clear. He must per force
of circumstances and conditions be
aware of the handicap under which
he labors. While it is true that to a
certain extent he is a western man,
still he is not so far western that
there can be much in sympathy be-
tween his prospective candidacy and
the part of the country on this side of
the Mississippi. His connection with
the west is not far reaching enough to
give him much more leverage than if
he were from that region described
by Colonel Bryan as the "enemy's
country" To all intents and purposes
he is an eastern a reckoning from
a really western point of view. His
connections are all with the east and
though he is Chicago born knows but
little, if any more about the genuine
west than any of the far eastern men