The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-11-21

j W6888 Ak w II
II the pertinent question which
appears = ! head line % tho follov.
ing editorial from the Weiser Signal,
ono Of Idaho's ahlest Democrats
papers, on the political situation IN
tho state. After looking over the
battle-ground and summing up the
main Causes which led 70 the dsfea,
Of William J.. Bryan, tho Signal
offers some wise suggestions 70 the
silver factions of Idaho:
Now that election is over there ID
one question that ought TO Be set
tied % soon 20 possible. What 10 to
be the future alignment Of the sil-
yer forces? Will they continue in
chaos, or will they unite? If they
unite, how? In the present cam
paign the silver army Was divided
into three forces tho democrats,
populists and silver republicans.
Because Of that Bryan was defeated.
The vicious mouthings Of Tom Wat
son spewed through the country
tended, in states like Oregon, TO
keep lukewarm democrats and sill
yer republicans away from Bryan
and Watson electors. In other states
it tended to keep middle-of-the-road
inclined populists from voting for
Bryan and Watson electors. But
what We desire to pay attention to
more particularly is the situation
in this state. To see the silver fac
tons of Idaho united on some har-
monious basis is our main anxiet =
First, what are the silver republic
cans going to do? We have heard
rumors of move towards organic
ing silver party in this state using
the silver republican party as nu-
cleus. We think it will not mate
rialize. What can be accomplished
by that? The silver republicans
are honest in their fight for silver.
They have left the republican party
for as long as it remains the party
of the money power, the trusts, the
syndicates and interest gatherers.
They have followed Bryan in this
campaign-they expect to follow
him from now up to and during toe
campaign of 1900. How best can
they follow and aid him? By being
a dissenting wing of the great silver
party of the nation, or by becoming
members of the identical party oil
which Mr.. Bryan is the leader7 The
great body of the silver republicans
Of the state are democrats to-day,
and if they doubt it let them ask
themselves what part of the plat
form they do not endorse. They
endorse silver, they believe in the
criticism of the supreme court for
its income tax decision aud they |
endorse reform 10 the direction of
securing . legal right to tax the
great income of the country. They
are opposed to government by in
junction and believe in arbitration
If labor troubles. They endorse
The present democratic plank of an
equitable distribution of the tariff
among all products of the country
whether raw or finished, and high
enough to meet all requirement for
revenues. That is all
he democratic platform and they
endorse it all. We know this be-
cause We have heard them all 90
,xpress themselves. Now it they
ire not democrats and are silver re-
2ublicans, what is the ground they
stand on? There is no silver re-
publican platform known to US.
There is nothing they believe in
hat is in conflict with the demo-
;ratic platform. It is true some Of
he leaders have made fourishes Of
'peech about being great deal diff
erent in most everything but silver,
'ut we know positively that the
'ank and file believe strictly in the
present democratic platform, are
democrats at heart, many proclaim.
ng themselves 30 openly, and We
know that the leaders cannot swing
hem away again at their pleasure.
they maintained themselves during
his campaign as silver republicans
or reasons Of which We are fully
ware, but those reasons evaporate
With the ending of the campaign.
They are followers of Bryan, and
hey can follow him better and aid
him more in the great battle if they
fray themselves within the ranks
# Bryan's own party. There is no
tone in their path. They would
hen be associated and in harmony
With the Bryan ranks. As long as
hey maintain themselves separate
here will be natural suspicion of
hem on the part Of vast number
# democrats, which must work to
he detriment Of silver.
It is true the silver republicans
re old political enemies, but the
democracy hae passed through q