Great Falls tribune., 1922-04-20
DEMO- Gratis GET
TOGETHER

THE harmony which prevailed a
the state democratic meeting i,
Helena last Friday indicates tina
the democratic party of Montan'
will be in better fighting trim thi'
fall than many Of the most arden
democrats hsd dared to hope. This
evident result Of the meeting vii
be disconcerting to the party's ad
versaries who had prophesied tha'
the split Of 1920, which resulted If
a republican victory, would be per
manent. The Helena meeting dis
closed a willingness to forget past
differences on the part Of those
who could not agree on the party's
ticket two years ago.
This rapid resurrection Of party
organization, which once seemed
hopelessly wrecked, is possible only
because sound political principles
are more enduring than personal
prejudices. The issue in the 1920
campaign was not SO much the diff
ference in party platforms in Mon
tana as the alleged difference in
the candidates Of the two parties.
Thousands Of democrats voted the
republican ticket in the belief that
their own candidates were not the
choice of the rank and file of the
party. It was further believed that
the election Of the 1920 democratic
ticket would be injurious to the
states welfare.
Whether or not the state would
have gone to the demnition bow
vows with the election of Wheeler
is a matter Of personal conjecture.
There is now growing belief
especially among those democrats
who were actively engaged in en-
composing his defeat, that he
would have made as good governor
as Dixon has made. This con-
viction Is doing much to dissipate
the i'll feeling that was so pro-
nounced in 1920, particularly since
that element which controlled the
democratic nominating primaries
at that time, seem now to be scat
tered and ineffective. Wheeler
himself, pointed out to the meeting
that taxation and economy were
the common issues on which both
factions of the party could agree.
Add to this situation, the realiza.
ton among democrats and many re-
publicans that the national repub.
lican administration is failure and
it is easy to understand why Mon.
tana democrats consider it fool
hardy to perpetuate the Ill will en-
gendered among themselves in the
1920 campaign. Montana democrats.
whether or not they voted for
Wheeler, are satisfied their present
duty is to help elect United States
senator and two congressman who
will take a decided stand against
Harding and the coterie of reaction.
ary politicians in Washington whose
first concern is party politics and
who persist in playing it while the
country is demanding constructive
postwar legislation. /
Chairman Cordell Hull of the
National Democratic committee
whose present trip is taking him
to a majority of the states of the
union, brought the message to
Helena that there is general dis |
satisfaction in all parts of the coun-
try with the Harding administra-
ton. He stated his belief as being
that nothing will prevent the cleo
ton of democratic congress this
fall unless it be lack Of organiza.
ton on the part Of the democrats.
This, too, did much to encourage
harmony among those present at
the Helena meeting.
The situation in the state is much
the same as in the nation. 1t will
be remembered that from March l
1919, until Harding's Inauguration
in 1921, both branches of congress
were controlled by the republicans
who were bound and determined
Ito put Wilson in hole" as Repre-
sentative Fordney, republican
leader, expressed it. During those
two years, the republican party pre-
vented President Wilson from do
ing that which he believed would
save the country from a disagree
able reaction Of the war. With
the election of a republican presi-
dent the republicans have not only
failed to enact any constructive
legislation but they have endorsed
by continuing in effect the con-