Idaho semi-weekly world., 1893-11-28
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The Boise Statesman, which i.
generally logical, reasonable and fair
in all its criticisms, contained an arti.
Gle in Last Saturdays issue, scoring
the Populists, which we consider both
illogical and out Of all reason. The
WORLD is not strictly Populist pa.
per. but it places the silver question
above al others, and believes that
any Tarty that does not come out fat
footed for free coinage at . ratio Of
10 to ! is undeserving Of the support
OF tho masses Of the people and the
WORLD will continue to oppose them
until this oil important question is
settled. The only silver party At
present is the Populist. At the
meeting Of the Central Committee Of
that party in Boise recently, an able
address was adopted, in the course Of
which thanks were extended to the
Idaho Congressional delegation for
their good work in behalf Of silver.
and continuing says:
As long as they continue to fight the
enemies OF silver we will be proud to hail
them as faithful public servants; but If
they should tarnish their bright record
by advocating, as they have done in the
past, support of the party with which they
nave been heretofore allied, we will hold
them as we do the balance of the Repub.
lican party-enemies of free silver coin.
age.
The Statesman says that " an intel
ligent public looks upon any such at
tempt to set up an arbitrary standard
or rule of conduct with supreme con-
tempt" The Statesman goes on to
argue their loyalty to silver notwith-
standing the Populist standard, and
says the silver cause has no abIer ad-
vocates than they, which is true, but
we cannot see anything wrong in that
part of the address quoted. 1t simply
illustrates the fact that the Populists
go little further in their advocacy
of silver than those who still give
their allegiance to the old parties,
each of which is endeavoring to out
do the other in opposition to silver
and in advocacy of the gold standard.
They take the ground that he who
advocates . measure and then sup
ports and assists to place in power its
bitterest opponents, is not consistent.
All ldahoans are presumed to be
friends of silver, but when they ed
vocate that cause and then turn
around and assist to place in
power its bitterest foes, their friend
illness in theory may be all right, but
practically they are running the cause
they pretend to espouse. Placing
weapons in the hands of your enemy
with which to beat out the brains ol
your friend is not the most sensible
and practical way in which to assist
your friend in the fight. That is the
principle the Populists oppose. They
believe in giving no aid to the enc
my. The Statesman heads its arti
Gle" Painfully silly" We can see
nothing painfully silly" about it
nor even silly, nor anything approach
ing Stiffness. The Statesman goe!
on to ridicule the Populists of thi
State for assisting to elect Cleveland
As is we'll known, the Democrats
drew down their electoral ticket, be
ing instructed to do SO by the Dem
ocratic national committee. Nov
what would the Statesman have tn,
Populists do under those circum
stances? Withdraw their electora
ticket also? Would not such an &C
have been painfully silly?" If sue
an act would have been the prope
thing for the Populists to have done
would it not have been the prope
thing also for the Republicans to hav
done? Or would an act done by tn
Populists be painfully silly" Will
the same act done by Republicans
be a virtuous one, prompted by su
preme wisdom? If the Populists c
Idaho "made poor showing" as tn
Statesman alleges, by not Withdraw
ing their electoral ticket, what kin
of a showing did the Republican
make? The latter ran way benin
while the State went for Weaver an
Field. The Republicans made wors
than a poor showing, while all tn
showing was made by the Populist'
If the Populists had withdrawn thei
electoral ticket-in other words fo
lowed in the footsteps of the Demo
,.t, than thav would have mad