The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-12-19
PLEDGES MUST BE KEPT.

bly, to secure a copy OF his state plat
form, and refresh his memory reg ard.
ing the pledges it made to the people
of Montana. A copy of the platform
should also be placed OF the desk of
each member while the Legislature is
in session, lest he forget some of the
obligations incurred by his success in
the campain. The Forsyth Times
makes some pertinent remarks in this
connection, part of which are to this
effect:
The republican party of Montana
stands pledged to enact certain spe.
ciic laws at the coming session of the
legislature. Promises were made in
the platform, and were emphasized by
every candidate who spoke before the
people. The responsibility for carry.
ing out the pledges rests upon repub.
lican members of the legislature pri.
marily, and incidentally and for every
day OF the week, and every minute of
the day, upon the republican newspa.
pers, the republican officials elected
last campaign-and principally upon
the insistence by every republican
voter that a pledge is a pledge to be
fulfilled, and not a trinket to toy with
as the late.lamented gubernatoria al in.
cumbent who posed as a democratic
senatorial candidate seemed to think.
And if any republican party machine
undertakes to violate these pledges,
then the machine should be smashed.
An old maxim states that "God hates
q liar" And the party which breaks
platform pledges may not be q liar,
but it is mighty hypocritical.
There's got to be u square deal in
Montana some day--and the sooner
the people demand a redemption Of
political promises, good government
and a square deal will come. 1t will
spell the death to professional lobby
lists, and to many self.styled party
leaders. The clever and enterprisinr
gentlemen may draw salaries for pre-.
venting the legislature from passing
any effective laws GAINED at business
interests and ~''leadcrs" who exploit
the public through party machines
often succeed by confusing the mem
bers and keeping them In 4 middle
until it is too late to unite on bills o
be passed-or until there can be no
unity in passing bills over the veto of
a corporation-owned, pledge-breaking
governor. That will be the program
this year. Men who are VIGOROUSLY
friendly with the railroads will pur-
posely draft bills SO drastic that the
attempted law for regulation will not
hold water in the courts. Other rail-
road Instruments will make Il fight for
bills introduced which have 10 inten.
ton of giving the people relief. These
punches will fight with great noise and
fury for their measures in the hope
that the real friends of u railroad
commission may be drawn away from
the support of effective and wholesome
laws.
Railroad regulation isn't all, OF
course. There Is the state treasury
stencil, the gambling law, the correc'
ton Of the primary law so skilfully
botched by the last legislature-witf
the intention Of killing agitation for
popular choice of candidates TO,
years TO com%e-judicial district divi'
sions, the bounty idea, and so on
Each of the laws needs working over
and the enemies of decency will be IL
action, cavalry, artillery and infan
try. TO prevent the friends of reform
measures from working ut cross pur
poses, and to keep the others from
stealthily scuttling the republican
party by defeating promised reforma
ton, it will be necessary this year Il
agree upon certain bills aud to pu
them through early Us party meas
ures. Candidates in the last can
paign, republican members Of tn
state legislature, so.called state lea
dcrs-guided by the republican pres
and republican voters from ever
precinct in the state--should natural
ly be looked to for advice and assis
lance in this direction. When tn
legislature meets individual prefer
ence a be sunk for the general goof
and bills can be introduced in tt
house and senate simultaneously thu
bear the sanction of leaders in Il
square deal movement. Such agre
ments can be reached il the work
approached in the light of q par
duty and responsibility, and bills cs
be passed in the first half of the Sc
sion that show the sincerity of the r
publican state convention in puttir
out its platform.