The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-30
A WIDE SPLIT

There is abundant confirmation of The MissouIian's spe-
cial news from Helena this morning, that the democratic
forces in the senate are split wide open and that the breach
has become so great as to preclude the possibility of closing
it. In the house the platform democrats, through their al
lance with the progressives, have been able to hold their
own and a little more in the battle with the dictionaries.
But in the senate the republicans have corralled enough of
the democrats in the reactionary inclosure to make it inn
possible for the democrats to fulfill any of the pledges,
which the platform wing of the party is anxious to make
good.
The revelation of the lineup in each branch of the legis-
lature came Tuesday. Upon that day the house passed the
anti-lobby bill in the face of the fiercest opposition that the
reactionaries could muster. Almost at the same time the
senate passed a bill which created two new counties, the
formation of which is regarded as a corporation promise. 1t
may or may not be significant that one of these counties
bears the name of one of the most INSCRIPTIONS henchmen
OF Big Business in the state.
We are told that the sincere platform democrats have
made vain pleas to their colleagues in the senate, and that
these appeals have been spurned scornfully. Big Business
has rounded up the senate and has a strong force OF night
riders who are keeping the bunch together. The reaction
aries are defiant, but their defiance is that of desperation;
they are making a last-ditch stand.
Deaf to the arguments OF the platform democrats and
needless of the urgent words of the governor, these cap
tured democrats are lining up squarely with the reaction,
airy forces. They are unable to see further than the end of
this session, it seems. They do not appear to realize that,
after the session, will come the reckoning. The people will
have an accounting then.
The news from Helena is that the Big Business lobby is
more numerous, more defiant, more unscrupulous than ever
beforehand that is going some. 1t had been thought that
the Twelfth-session lobby had reached the limit. 1t seems
that there were depths OF disgrace of which we knew moth
ing, and that into these depths the state is now being
dragged. With the example before them, it is not easy to
understand how any member could reasonably oppose the
antilobby measure.
But if this is the news from Helena, the news from the
rest of the state is that the people are watching the legisla-
ture this year as never before. They are keeping ally
They are noting the votes and the men who cast them.
There are already some interesting rollcalls which will de-
mand considerable explanation. Before the session closes,
there will be some more of them.
And the people will take into their own hands the enact
ment OF laws, If the members OF the legislature tail in the
fulfilment of pledges. AS soon as the legislature adjourns,
there will be a gathering of citizens in Helena. There will
be a review O" the work of the session. Then and there will
be initiated measures which will give the state the laws
which the legislature, under reactonary control, has denied.
If Governor Stewart has influence with his party, now is
the time for him to exert it. He counseled wisely in his
message. There are some of his party associates in the leg
islature who are anxious to carry out the governors advice.
But there are some who are not. And the split is wide.