The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1920-09-17

The convention hall of the Placer
hotel, Helena, Montana, was trans
formed from a cave of gloom Monday
to a place of joy, enthusiasm and har-
mony today. The white winged dove
of peace finally reigned at Republi
can state convention and tonight the
Republican hosts go forth to battle
with real slogan: "The red flag or
the American, which ?"
The platform Of 700 words could be
boiled down to a single plank, declar
ing the issue to be state Socialism
and calling upon all citizens to repel
the invasion from North Dakota,
Democrats especially invited The bat
tie will be fought on that line without
deviation
Senator Dixon, all state candidates
and Joseph M. Scanlan, the newly
elected chairman of the state commit
tee, are unanimous for that program
and they enter the most serious cam
paign in the history of Montana. There
is confidence in the belief that a sub
stantial majority of the earnest think
ing citizens of this commonwealth will
be with them on election day, yet there
is no attempt to camouflage facts or
to deny that a hard and bitter battle
is ahead, he result of which no man
may prophesy this time.
Out and Out Challenge
The feature of the convention was
Senator Dixon's strong and inspiring
address. 1t carried the ring of the
bugle and brought delegates and audi
ence outstanding. 1t was summons
to duty such as was never heard be-
fore in Montana and it's effect was i'm
mediate. 1t sent thrill through the
convention The platform is really a
dozen sections Of the speech which was
modelled with the gNoatest care to meet
the enemy on his own ground and
was an acceptance of the gauntlet of
Townleyism cast forth by the hybrid
Socialistic- Democratic convention OF
yesterday.
State Committeeman, Tressler called
the delegates to order at II o'clock
Senator John E. Edwards of Forsptt
was named as temporary chairman
but declined after pledging his hearty
support to the ticket. He was sue.
seeded by Fred Gibson, who aroused
the convention with a ringing speech
Senator Dixon was then summoned
and was greeted with prolonged ano
uproarious applause.
The senator's speech was instantly
recognized as real keynote. 1t wa:
often interrupted by applause and a
the conclusion there was long cheer
ing.
A recess until o'clock followed ant
during the interval the platform wa!
prepared and most of the delegates
attended the funeral of Senator Parl
Smith, whose tragic death in an au
tomobile accident on Thursday sen
a shock through Helena. The plat
form was prepared by committe
of which Senator Dixon was chairma,
and was composed of H. C. Crippen
H. j. Miller, Carl w. Riddick, D. w
Slayton, V. R. Griggs, M. Landstrun
and E A Mcdowell 1t was adopte'
without change and with enthusiasm
by the convention and reads as fol
lows:
We, the legally delegated Republi
cans of Montana, in state convention
assembled, hereby renew our allegianc
to the great party of national achieve
ment, and under our standard bearers
Senator Harding and Governor Cool
idge, we will again move into align
ment with our sister states of tn
north and west in November, and w
hereby indorse the platform adoptc
at the Chicago convention.
The Platform
We meet today under extraordinar
conditions. The old political issue
growing out Of the Civil War hav
largely passed. The world war ha
brought us face to face with ster
realities in the social and industri.
conditions of the nation and here i
Montana. The wave of discomfort ha
been famed into flames by the subtl
appeals of the proponents Of state 81
cialism. We have just witnessed tn
strange phenomena of an alien pc
litical organization without legal er