, 1907-03-09
TRUE STORY ABOUT THE BEAR.

Inc douglas Budget analyzeS the
north and south" situation In the fol-
lowing lucid and sensible manner
Northern and central Wyoming
newspapers, in their windmill warfare
against dishonest and 'disreputable'
Union Paciac members Of the late leg
islature, will do well to remember that
every shield has two sides. II Union
Pacific gentlemen are actually isnon'
est and IL the measures they supported
and passed were really disreputable,
then newspaporial bushwhackers are
well within their rights In hunting the
bear and as they wake the hills and
beat the brush In their pursuit OF bruin
the bad all fair-minded people will
wish more power to their elbow. For
one. L don't believe in wholesale
charges and indiscriminate abuse, nor
has my attention been called to any
thing in print wherein Is sought to
specify and prove a single allegation
In this general Indictment. 1t is this
sort of argument n this self-same
policy-this unwillingness to consider
the wishes or rights Of our older and
greater sisters-this determination to
oppose every southern Wyoming re-
quest regardless Of its merits-this In.
diligence In indiscriminate denuncia-
ton OF men and measures and arbitra-
D ry refusal of reasonable consideration.
which cost Converse county her
house member. When men reach that
point where they are always right and.
other people always 'xrong-where
support of any proposition by certain
other men insures their bitter oppo-
sition, and that opposition takes the
form Of a gross violation of every rule
Of common courtesy-they are not
likely to receive any more cousidera-
ton in time of trouble than they have
shown II those whom they have made
their enemies. This determination on
the part of a rev ambitious politicians
to establish a Mason ant Dixon line
across the state, and to damn the rep
resentatives Of n section n defy
those OF the other, Is not only wrong
but It fs rotten. And the bitterness and
injustice with which this unholy war
is waged proves that II the north with
all Its boosted virtue and iforbearance
but had the power and 1t YER placed
in the hands Of certain gentlemen who
80 in~dustriously pose as our cham
pions. they would stop little short Of
fire and sword and piilage. Converse
county lost Its member Of the house
because 1t has followed OF after these
false gods % often OF late, and per-
sistently antagonized q majority who
should rule and who were our friends
until we had proved to their satisfac-
ton that we are opposed to everything
they hoped for or desired or represent
ed. And quite as a matter Of course.
when there came a time to weigh our
interests as against those of other
counties which had shown q willing
ness to recognize that majority, they
gave their friends the benent of the
doubt-as you would and as everybody
ought. Il
1T Is possible that the Union Pacific
counties have been exhorbitant in their
demands upon the treasury Of the
state at times and have passed some
laws which the people Of the common
wealth didn't want Certainly they
are not to be blamed because they
sought to build up state institutions at
state expense, nor because they took
advantage Of their majority to enact
legislation in accord with their desires. |
II this so-called north had the power,
1t could not do less. That Union Pa
cifc lawmakers are more dishonest,
or hat they are less capable of dis
.tinguishing right from wrong, l deny.
l cannot recall that I have ever bent
the knee to anybody or played the
sychophant, as gentlemen would seem
to intimate. Nor am l averse to an &C.
casional bear hunt-only that l must
arst know that these counties really
have been unscrupulous oppressors-
and these gentlemen who are doing a
st. George and the dragon stunt for
the rescue of We the d~owntrodden will
have to make their charges more
specific and submit at least an iota OF
proof before 1 will believe.
Anyway, 1 did take kindly to
an argument which refused to at least
recognize the reasonable presumption
that the other fellow was sincere, nor
see the wisdom OF butting my head up
against a stone wall just because some
ambitious advertiser shouted Come on
boys!' Brt-as these bear-hunters SO
earnestly protest their sympathy in
this, our hour of afliction, 1t might not
be out Of place to give space here and
now to just a little history:
THE fact is that Converse county
was slaughtered in the house of her
protested friends, snd would have re-
tanned her representation II the north,
which is so %vocIferously emulating
Caesar'S wife. had been true to its