The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-17

THE BATTLE LINE.
Gen. Weaver, the populist candidate
for president. was greeted by large and
intelligent audience of representative
citizens at the auditorium last night,
and a full synopsis Of his speech is
given in The INDEPENDENT this morn
ing. As a campaign speaker Mr..
Weaver is above the average. He is
digniied, argumentative, and doubtless
nincere. May Of the evils on which he
dwells are patent; for some of them there
are political remedies; for others the
panaceas he offers are quack cures. But
Gen. Weaver and his followers under
take too much. Their fire is too scat
tering to be effective. The millennium
isn't coming this year; the only way to
bring it about is by killing the evils one
at a time. The one, great, overshadow-
ing wrong of to-day is the robber tariff.
To the herculean task of %strangling this
monster the democratic party, number
ing in its ranks in 1888 a popular ma
jority Of 100000 voters, but defeated by
the corrupt purchase Of a majority of
the electoral vote, is now addressing it.
self. The reptile was scotched in the
battle of 1890; we can kill it outright in
1892 il, turning neither to the right nor
to the left, we devote ourselves with
whole heart and %singleness of purpose to
finishing the work that lies right before
us. Shall we falter or turn back, after
long years Of struggle, when victory is
in sight, to engage in fruitless effort in
other directions?
Benjamin Harrison or Grover Cleve-
land will be the next president of the
United States. A vote for Weaver is a
vote wasted. In Montana a Weaver
vote taken from democracy means a vote
for Harrison. Is there any democrat in
this state who has not had enough Of
Harrison 4 Father?
No, fellow democrats, we must not d.
verge from the straight path the party
has trod for so many years. We must
not leave the great battle for tariff re-
form, the battle planned and fought by
democrats, and skulk IN the rear. Let
US settle the great issue of issues, the
cause that is above every other cause,
by the side of which ali minor differ
ences sink into insignificance, fighting
under the old flag of democracy, on the
glorious democratic battle line, led by
the tried and intrepid leader, Grover
Cleveland.
Democrats, populists, republicans who
prefer country to party, we ask you to
unite with US in this work. Our great
leader says:
Never has q great party, intent upon the
promotion of right and justice, had better
incentive for effort than is now presented
TO us. Turning our eyes to the plain peo-
pie of the land We see them burdened as
with a tariff system that I'M
justly and relentlessly demands from them
IN the purchase of the necessaries and com.
forts of life, an amount scarcely met by
the wages of hard and steady toll, while
the exactions thus wrung from them build
and increase the fortunes OF those for
whose benefit the injustice is perpetuated.
We see the farmer listening to d d~elusive
that fills his mind with advantage,
while his pocket is robbed by the stealthy
hand OF high protection. Our workingmen
are still told the tale. oft repeated in spite
its demonstrated ~falsity, that the exist
ing protective tariff is a boon to them. and
under its beneficent operation their
wages must increase--while as they listen
scenes are enacted in the very abiding
place of high protection that mock the
hopes of toll and attest the tender mercy
the working man receives from those made
selfish and sordid by unjust governmental
favors.
This cause is the democratic ause.
1t can only be fought to a successful
conclusion under the democratic ban
Those who say they support it,
yet do not fight with us, aid it's n @
mics, not lis.
Grover Cleveland must be the next
president Of the United States!
REPUBLICANS RESPONSIBLE.
The esteemed Herald says, in reply to