The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1906-10-10
REPUBLICAN, COUNTY TICKET.
WHAT WOULD ROOSEVELT DO?

Men are measured by the words they
utter and by the deeds they do. The
word OF an honorable man is as good
as his bond: in many cases it is much
better. The higher the rung in life's
ladder the man has climbed, the more
binding must necessarily be any
pledge, promise or covenant that he
makes. The rule is that men rise be-
cause they gain the confidence of their
keeping them.-Helena Record.
The above is good gospel for politi-
cal parties IS we'll as for individuals.
A political party will gain the support
and confidence of the electorate by
making pledges and by keeping them.
II is with regret and humiliation
that Montana republican newspapers
are compelled to admit that 40 impor-
tant pledge made in their party plat.
form two years ago-a pledge relating
to the recovery OF interest on public
funds-remains u~nredeemed. This
failure to make good the promises Of
his party was brought to the attention
OF the recent republican state conven.
ton by Hon. T. j. Porter, of Custer
county, but his motion that the repub.
lican attorney general be instructed
to carry out the republican pledge oil
1904 was rejected by the convention.
AS a result of this action, the po-
litical opposition is making the matter
. prominent issue In the present cam
paign. Its newspapers and public
speakers are exhibiting the incident
Is an illustration of broken promises,
and so far as the financial end of the
proposition is concerned. the only re.
ply that can be made by q Montana
republican is that democratic officials
have been equally derelict in account.
ing for interest on state money
While that allegation is true, it would
be more to the credit Of the Montana
republican party il it could say that
Its record in this respect is better than
that Of the political opposition. in.
stead OF being just as bad.
From the comments made by several
reputable newspapers of the state,
there appears to be a general desire
that our republican attorney general
take the action requested 10 the Por-
ter resolution that failed to receive
fair treatment in the republican state
convention. If state funds have been
mismanaged by present or former pub
lie officials, it is the duty Of the at
torney general-as guardian of the
peoples interests and an official whose
oath of office requires him to enforce
the law--to carry out the pledge made
in his party platform of two years
ago. In the event that~ii be proven,
after full investig alton, that no profits
have been made upon public funds by
present or former state officials, such
assurance from the state prosecutor
will dispose of the accusation.
Among the comments made upon
this matter by Montana republican
newspapers, are these brief and per.
tiueut remarks by the Butte Inter.
Mountains:
Both parties are ut fault in the mat
ter of permitting officials to violat,
the law IN making private profit from
public funds. The party which take.
the first effective action to compel
restoration of the lawless gains viii
win the praise and secure the politica
advantage.
The failure OF the attorney genera
to take any action in the matter |.
grossly unjust to the republican nom
inees who are seeking popular supper
in the present campaign. Neither o
them is In the remotest degree respon
sible for the record Of any state Off
cial, but each Is compelled to face tn
accusation made by democratic news
papers and spellbinders. Our owl
Charles N. Pray, whose devotion t,
duty and fearless zeal on behalf O
what he believes to be right hav
earned the respect and esteem of al
who know him best, is u~njustly handi
capped in this campaign by the cir
cumstauces to which reference ha
been made. He will be relieved o
this burden II the attorney genera
performs his duty. Judge Henry c