The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-11-07
A WHOLESOME APATHY.

There is 20 denying the fact that
this has been an awful quiet cam.
paign. Just what this apparent indif-
ference on the part of the voters all
means, we have yet to find out. The
election returns will tell the story but
every person interested can interpret
it for himself. Judging by its own
feelings the Journal is of the belief
thai the Indifference is real. Prosperity
IL SO universal and the outlook so
promising that the average citizen
absolutely refuses to get worked up
over the fortunes or misfortunes Of
his friend and neighbor who is run
ming for Office. But that is not such
a dreadful thing as the office.seeking
neighbor might think. His friend
simply declines to work up an interest
about his candid acy, but in all prob
ability the ticket will be voted just
the same and those who are on the
winning side will get elected.
Still the situation is strongly sup.
porting the ancient declaration that
as a people wax prosperous they
grow Indifferent to public at airs and
are willing to let we'll enough alone.
This is not good policy nor is it the
policy Of the president, who probably
never will, while living, admit that
any condition is ''well enough" The
fact is that ''well enough" for the
people is not "well enough for the
nation. Trusts flourish, insurance
gratters grow inordiuately fat, rail-
roads and other forms OF transporta-
ton do their level best to squeeze the
~life-blood out of the people, but SO
great, SO universal, so continuous is
the prosperity that has settled upon
this country Of ours, that all the OPP
preston, the stealing and bleeding of
the people does not aud cannot make
them feel or sense the danger. Well
enough Is good enough for them and
the politicians who thought they
could stir up an old time campaign
this year have long since settled back,
convinced for some reason, not readily
identified, the voter don't seem to
scare worth q cent.
Perhaps this paper is p~rejudiced
or blinded by an overwhelming con.
6dence in the ability OF the president
and an abiding belief that he will *.
ercise that ability to the best ends az
long as he has the power, but it does
seem to US that this apathy that is so
alarming to the politicians IL merely
the surface indication of the great
confidence the people have in Theo-
dore Roosevelt. As the soldiers that
marched under the eagles of Napoleon
went into each battle with the supreme
confidence OF victors, SO the average
American voter feels today that all is
we'll; that the majority Of the nation
will declare unhesitatingly for the
support of the president and that the
petty political issues of individuals
and communities are not worth getting
excited about.
OF course this may be discouragine
to the candid ate whose candidacy is
for himself-quite the most importan'
feature Of the campaign, but he mus
content himself this fall getting TIT
vote and foregoing the exploitation o
his excellences. There is no reason
to feel, or fear, that the state, TIT
counties or the various precincts il
them will vote other than they hav,
been voting on other elections. Sine
the silver slump in this state, Their
has been a steady and thorough,
warranted gain in the republican vote
OF course the party was entitled TO al
the thousands that the Bryan cra
took away from it, but in addition t
that, the excellence of the Mckinle
and Roosevelt administrations durin
the past decade has converted many
Montana democrat and the immigra
ton into the state has been almos
wholly from the republican states {
the northwest, SO one might just q
we'll anticipate an earthquake as
change in the political complexion
this state, or of any of its polite;
subdivisions. 1t won't come. TT
country's faith in "Teddy" is unshal
able and though here and there a It
publican candidate may fall throug
local conditions, the message to tt
president will be one OF supreme cor
hdence and absolute approval.--Ye
lOwstOne Journal.