Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1905-06-22

| The older Senator Patterson gets
the more serious and grabbed he be.
comes, He is seldom, II ever. seen to
smile, except under the greatest pro.
| vocation. He wears an expression OF
anxiety and appears to be carrying an
unusual load OF care. So, when 1t was
reported at Speer headquarters that
Patterson had been seen to smile and
even to chuckle audibIy on the street
near tne Denver Club, while alone, It
sent the cold chills up and down the
spine o! the Speer faction. for 1t knew
that the fight was practically over.
Nothing short OF the knowledge that
he controlled the situation would
cave induced such unseemly cheerful.
ness on the part OF the senator from
Welton street.
And yet this fight Ii no laughing
matter for the Democrats. WIiatey-
err Speer's faults may be, one thing IL
certain. the Democratic corporations
prefer to have him distribute their
campaign funds rather tnan Patter-
son. whom they have tried In days
gone by and found unsatisfactory. I'm
attempting to crush Speer and read
him out OF the party Senator Patter-
Democratic corporations into recog.
nizing him rs the man to do business
with. Speer feels that Patterson inas
broken the rules OF decent fractional
warfare by undertaking to bribe the
Democratic leaders OF the state with
free dinner. And Speer. although
he may have to admit his defeat now,
will be found very much In the game
At the next convention with his solid
Denver delegation.
The idea of announcing q party plat
form at this time to govern the legal.
~ selected convention that will as
semble a year from this coming fall
was entirely original with the grouchy
senator and IL far from popular with
the Representative" Democrats who
are now hero 10 attend the factional
feast OF Troublesome Tom. TIE great
est confusion Of ideas prevails on the
matter OF what will be the paramount
Issue. Some delegates come right out
and say that Patterson Is a Socialist
and should be- downed. but these are
few and uninauential. Others assert
their belief that II ID his intention to
again throw" Adams on the senatori.
al matter. but these are not very hos
tile. The idea Of trying to make the
people go back and fight over the tire
some old Peabody-Adams contest
looks positively foolish to many young
headed local bosses from out In the
state. They say you cannot make q
paramount issue out OF matter that
is settled two years before election
two years before election takes place.
After the Denver exposures to try TO
run Adams on martyr platform
would make people tired said \
member from Cripple Creek. I'VE got
to have suthin' with more life and gis-
card to 1t taan that"
Then there IL the railroad Issue.
That there ISSUE" said Pueblo
leader. SIS a Republican Issue, and be-
sides II We use 1t 1t will make the
railroads mad and we won't get
ding cent from them for the cam
paign. We can't go yelping around ON
Roosevelt issue as paramount In q
Democratic PLATFORM" he added.
Municipal ownership amt no Is
sue. II ia only n sentiment or sort Of
principle" said a member OF the as
sembly from Gunnison. I'VE own our
| waterworks. but we had to pay for
them ourselves. 1t was a little town
or village Issue not a big matter that
state or national party could handle
Now suppose we declare for munich
pal ownership OF public utilities.
What kind Of law will we pass In
the legislature to bring IL about;
None. absolutely none. Legislature
hain't got nothin' to do with II, there.
fore II is nothin' we can regulate.
Rests with the taxpayers In each town
10 say whether they can afford to buy
| and run their utilities. OF course It
issa good plan for them to do 1t. but
II il up to them. not to us, to say
whether they want to do It or not. We
also stand for the Golden Rule. but
we can't enforce It," Then he turned
and asked a Denver man when the
street franchises, water franchises.
etc, expired. Several years yet"
answered the Denverite. Then what
in Sam Hill you fellers screamn'
about?" asked the outiander. do you
reckon we are goin' to snort around
on municipal ownership for you Den
yer fellers when you couldn't US 1t II
you got 1t until the rights OF the pres.
ent owners expire? That would be a
very eXcltin' paramount issue. would.
Mt ~"
And 80 1t goes. One paramount is.
sue ia too far In the past. another TOO
far In the future. and the other be
longs to the Republicans. Under
these conditions II 10 easy to under
stand the sad expression carried
around by some Of the delegates. ons
Of them has been trying to md thu
names Of the towns that are demand
ing municipal ownership. So far
none have been found. The only de
mand comes from the Pattsysouian
wing OF the Democratic phalanx. But