The Ravalli Republican. [volume] (Stevensville, Mont.) 1894-1899, 1895-07-03
SENATOR MANTLE REMARKS
That Silver Has No Hope From
Democracy.
Republicans Fot Yet Ready For 1t.
But Silver is Gaining In
That Party.

A reporter OF the Basin Times met
with Senator Mantle while at Butte
day or two ago. The senator is
looking very well and expressed him.
self us much pleased to be among his
friends and neighbors and particu-
larly glad Of the opportunity of
breathing the mountain air once
more.
"Hayc you anything to say, Sen
tor, respecting the criticisms Of the
Butte Miner upon your interview in
the Standard?" asked the REPORTER.
II don't know that have anything
in particular to say as to the Miner"
he replied. II have for years been
accustomed TO being criticised by Che
Butte Miner, and estimating it's
|'criticisms by results, l am inclined
Ito think 1t has been rather an advan
tsge to me than otherwise. y
"In your Standard interview you
said in reply to the question as to
what you would do if the democrats
declared for silver and nominated a
silver man and the republicans failed
to do the same that you would cross
that bridge when you came to it. DO
you infer, Senator, by that, that you
will support q republican gold bug
on gold bug platform in preference
to free silver democrat on a free
silver PLATFORM"
".Ihat is the construction the
Miner seeks to put on my answer.
Or course such an assumption is silly
in the extreme and the attempt to
make me out a gold bug will simply
excite the mirth Of the people Of
Montana, without respect to party.
The question itself is purely hy-
potEetical one and onc upon which
none of us vail be called to pass an
opinion. Mark my words, the demo-
cratic party as a party will not NOM
nate a free silver candidate upon a,
free silver platform. The effort of
the Miner to make it appear that the
democratic party is already commit
ted to firm sill yer policy is simply
ridiculous in the light Of events now
transpiring: The fact is, that the
democratic party is hopeless]y split
on the question. The fight within
their ranks is most bitter and person
al, particularly in Illinois, Ohio, Ten
nessee and Missouri. 1t will be
equally bitter in other southern
states as soon as they get sufficiently
warmed up.
SIN view Of this condition Of affairs
several things may happen when
they meet in national convention
next year. In the first place neither
faction will be strong enough to NOM
mate it's man. The eastern demo- /
Gratis will never surrender to the free
and the extremists among
the silver democrats, especially the
westerners, will not yield to the gold
men. But I am not SO certain about
democrats from the south. There
are many staunck silver men from
the south, but the administration
wields powerful influence in that
section, and you may rest assured
that the delegation will be badly
split. Then again the southern DEM
ocrats are deeply attached to the
democratic party. Far more SO as a
rule than the northern and western
democrats. And when the alterna-
tive is presented to them of accepting
some sort of compromise upon the
financial question or seeing their
party hopelessly divided, many Of
them will yield just as they did over
the memorable struggle in the repeal
If the Sherman law. You will re-
there we're only two or three
silver democrats who stood by their
guns to the last in that fight. The
men who died fighting in that con-
Jest were mainly western republicans.
1t is certain then, to my mind, that
5herc will be split among the dem
)crats, and the boilers will no doubt
oe the free silver faction; but it will
oy no means comprise the demo-
cratic party"
"Thcn you do not expect anything
or silver from the democrats as an
II certainly do not. The history
# the party is against such a hope.
The elements which have for wears
that party are opposed to
liver, while that section of the party
Which is friendly to silver has always
vavercd and divided at the critical
I'm short the record Of
he democratic party on the silver
question is bad. 1t is full of hvpoc-
isy. Whenever it has had major
ty in the lower branch of congress.