The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-16

roty mouthpieces of the corporations.
Why, then, should the people Of
Billings, or any other locality, outside
OF the big cities, encourage such wishy-
washy editorial pabulum to their
homes or their Offices. Given situa-
ton in state affairs touching the in
terests of one of the corporations and
nine readers of every eight, of any
of these papers, can foretell with un-
erring accuracy just the kind OF
song his paper will sing about it. A
newspaper that is simply political
organ will at all times have views OF
the expediency of this or that pro-
posed action and more than often
there will be at least a tentative ex-
preston; something to set the people
talking; but not so with your corpora
tion newspaper; it has no views; it
never gives expression to an idea that
has not been kneaded and moulded
and baked before delivery to the edi-
tor; it is a puppet Of the most
transparent and ridiculous mannfac-
ture; living shame to the intelli-
gent men who, for a stipend, permit
people 10 think that they are the in
spired authors of the fiabby and i'm
becile discussions of matters of
state" that apepar in the editorial
columns.
There is no objection whatever to
the existence of these millionaires and
their corporate interests if they win
only mind their own business and
keep out OF politics. Mr.. Clark as a
citizen is an excellent one. He has
done much for the state and the field
is wide-open for him to do more. The
Amalgamated people are marvels Of
thrift and success and the wonderful
expansion of their plant at Anaconda
is properly and justly the pride and
glory of the state. Mr.. HeinZe, too,
is man of such rare and commanding
ability that in spite of his peculiari-
ties, is and must always be esteemed
of men and neighbors, but because
these three interests have chosen to
sit into a game where not only un-
told millions, but the honor and integ-
rity of sovereign state are the stakes,
the ordinary and customary procedure
of affairs in the state must be upset
and all things and particularly things
political, be made the "checks" that
represent the stakes in this colossal
game.
To return to the unfortunate situa-
ton at Billings, the consideration Of
which first tapped this vein Of COM
ment. We hope there is loyalty
enough in the denizens of old Alkali
Flat to stay with the home news
papers that faithfully chronicle their
births, marriages and deaths; that
ransack the thesaurus for adjectives
adequate to the description of their
pink teas; that fight the local battles
IN one side or the other with vigor
hat keeps the whole town agOg be-
.ween publication days and-most OF
all-that give the town Ia reputation
abroad If they must have the big
,ity papers for the news-though God
Knows, some of them are yellow
enough to be credited to Warm
springs-take them for that, and de-
bend upon the home paper for honest
editorial comment of passing events,
or you will not get it in the dailies.
Perhaps it would be unfair to leave
lnspoken the names of the one or two
exceptions the list OF course 1t IS
,nly personal opinion, but in the estl-
nation of this page of the Journal
he Anaconda Standard and the Great
Falls Tribune keep the collar out OF
light best. The Standard quite often.
md the Tribune occasionally discusses
hings from an unbiased standpoint.
rhe daily Missoulian hardly ranks
With the publications in the larger
ities in point of prominence, but lts
EDITORIAL expressions are as spring
vater to stale beer when compared
With the collared ones. 1t seems to be-
ong to it's owners.