Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-06-01

CONGRESSMAN TOWNE.

CONGRESSMAN TOWNE.
At the jefferson day banquet in Kan
sas City Charles A. Towne was one
of the speakers In his address he
made a violent attack on Theodore
Roosevelt in which he said he was
going back to Washington to lex
pose the president. He was given
an opportunity the other day and as
was expected his bitter TRADE,
like the Indians experience with the
old rusty gun. the recoil damaged him
and the party with which he is now
allied. more than it did the object of
mis- hatred. Towne now has the doubt
full honor of representing a rotten
Tammany district in the lower house
of congress and is recognized as the
mouthpiece of that corrupt organiZa-
ton. This alone was a handicap for
Mr. Towne to begin with say nothing
OF the abuse which he hurled at'the
president.
much use for men of the Towne type
They are looked upon with suspicion.
In his attack upon the president no
one could help but draw contrast
between the man of high character.
lofty purposes and aims and the mere
political adventurer who is embttered
by his own mistakes and neglected
opportunities.
While the Democrats of the house
applauded Mr. Towne in public in pri-
vate the more astute among them will
admit that he has done the party mora
harm than good. Mr.. Towne's remarks
were for home consumption, for the
people to read, and when it is consid-
cred that the president is fighting the
battles of the people such attacks only
strengthen his hold upon them. No
president has ever enjoyed the conf
dence of the masses to the extent that
Theodore Roosevelt does. He is human
and may make mistakes, but no one
will doubt his sincerity. his honesty
and his ambition to accomplish the
best possible results. Vicious assaults
and perversion of facts may find TEN.
porary welcome among kindred spirits
but what Theodore Roosevelt has done
and is doing will be properly judged
in the future. and far from the political
storm center of the nation. as are the
deeds and great services rendered the
country by Abraham Lincoln
In h
the rate bill, Mr.. Towne draws on his
imagination. having little regard for
truth and accuracy as might well be
expected. He reiterates the charge
of bad faith on the part of the presi-
dent, and goes so far as to state that
there were from forty-seven to fifty
votes pledged to the plan of restricted
review. when it was not claimed that
any definite number of votes was
pledged. AS matter of fact the Dem
ocrats could not agree among them
selves and whatever their promises the
president saw no prospect of getting
the bill through the senate with their
assistance. 1t is even charged that
they wanted rate bill to suit them
selves or no rate Legislation at all
Furthermore, they We're anxious to
split the Republican party wide open if
possible. They did not accomplish
their purpose in either respect. hence
their tears and their abuse of the pres
ident.
Mr.. Towne has overshot the mark
II he was chosen to sound the keynote
of the campaign for the Democracy
great mistake was made. OF Mr.
Towne and his speech in the house
assailine the president, the Minneap
oils Journal takes the following view:
IF the Democratic leaders had lie
sired to intensity the confidence of the
people in Mr. Roosevelt. to strengthen
him in their regard, they could moi
have done more wisely than to set
Mr.. Towne at work. with his record be.
hind him, TO criticise a man like Theo
dore Roosevelt The contrast in char
acter and achievement between the
critic and the criticised is SO wide as
to emphasize the supreme folly of this
performance. On the side of the crit
ic is the most conspicuous example in
public life today of wasted abilities
on the other, the most splendid illus
tration of wisely employed capacity
This will suggest itself at once to ev
eryone acquainted with recent history
The Towne performance, if it is to BE-
regarded as beginning of the Demo
cratic campaign land it is so consider
ed in Washington, is something up
on which the Republicans may con
graduate themselves. Nothing coulf
be better or more surely calculated tc
strengthen the president in the con
fidence of the people and restore re
iations Of cordially and cooperation
between the Republican leaders ant
the chief executive. Thanks to this
biunder, Mr.. Roosevelt and Repubi
can leaders generally, are several de
grees closer together today than they
were yesterday.