Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-11-28
EDITORIAL PAGE
RK WHEELER's POLITICAL PROGRAM

Blk. WHEELER'S POLITICAL PROGRAM
B. K. Wheeler, formerly United States dis
trict attorney for this state, arrived in Great
Falls Wednesday and at a public meeting IN this
city announced his political plans for the future
In his speech he remarked that he did not see
anv reporter present to take down his speech.
Tn that he was mistaken. The Tribune had
reporter present for that purpose. In fact, 1t
had more than one, so that there might be no
question Of fact as to the correctness Of it's re-
port as to what he said 1t is our information
that he has been saying the same things in his
speeches all over eastern Montana. Some of his
statements are SO palpably false and ibelous that
the newspapers of the state have generally failed
to report them in print. But in large measure
they are addressed to audiences who do not know
the truth fully, and The Tribune has thought it
good public policy to give them publicity in order
that the false statements Of fact may be refut-
ed by the truth and the people may know what
the political plans Of this man for the future in
wolves on his own declaration.
The three leading features Of the address OF
B. K. Wheeler Wednesday night in this city
were. first, his announcement OF purpose to
form a political combination between the labor
union working men and the farmers and capture
the republican party organization or the demo-
cratic party organization through the primaries,
as circumstances might indicate to carry out ms
purposes. Second, that political power being
thus gained, the people Of this state propose TO
drive the Anaconda Copper company out OF the
state through the ballot box, and II that 1aiis'
then thew must "be driven out in some other
wavv Third. the speaker dealt in amazing,
scandalous, and in most cases untruthful charges
against the personal characters of leading cltl-
zens of the state, charging court and other pubic
officials with accepting bribes, stealing public
money, altering election returns, and other
crimes for which they should be and would be IN
iail if the proof was forthcoming to sustain
these charges Fourth, general abuse OF Jonn
D. RYAN and other men connected with the Ana
conda Copper company, sanderous and hDelous
in it's character, and mostly composed OF old
stuff that has already been disproved by official
and judicial Investigations.
It is the purpose of The Tribune to take up all
Of these matters more in detail in future articles
in these columns, as we have not space to con-
slider them adequately in a single article. 1t may
he that such consideration may be regarded as
giving them more dignity than they deserve and
that il would be better to pass them by with
silent contempt as has been largely done by tne
press Of the state, but when we remember that
Mr. Wheeler has been the representative OF the
department of Justice in this state at one tlme
appointed to such office by democratic admin
istration, and that he is spending his time and
some one is spending large sum OF money to
have him go all over the state repeating the
statements he made Wednesday night in this
city, we believe it duty we owe to the demo-
cratic party and the people Of the state to call
Mr. Wheeler to account for his words.
To begin WITH how do the democrats and re-
publicans of the state like the announcement OF
his purpose to debauch their party organizations
through stuffing the primaries with voters who
do not pretend to be democrats or republicans
so that Mr. Wheeler and his friends can deceive
the voters of the state by running for office as
the candidate of party which they do not owe
any allegiance to, and denounce as unworthy OF
public confidence? Mr.. Wheeler has heretofore
posed as a democrat. He has held office as a
democrat drawn down the emoluments of public
office as democrat, and if current comment is
not at fault he has prospered wonderfully in a
financial way while devoting his time and energy
TO politics. But according to his own statement
he is in no way bound to any loyalty to the demo-
cratic party on account of the fat offices and
financial prosperity that has come to him
through the democratic party's favors The re-
publican party nomination would suit him equal
Iv wall Tn fact the pOlitical gossin of the hour