The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1897-11-23

and cuffed about like a football
by the outrageous fortune that
has temporarily given to the
eastern plutocrat the steward
ship of its destiny, the silver in
dustry of Montana sometimes
envies the condition of the an
cient hero of whom the poet has
so feelingly said :
He sufrered-but his pangs are DER;
Enjoyed-but his delights are fled;
Had friends-but his friends are row no more;
And foes-his foes are dead.
Not content with having by
stealth inaugurated-a NOV om1 Mt
for the ruin of the silver mining
industry, and by the illicit use of
ill-gotten wealth projecting the
conspiracy of greed into political
conclusions, that the great re-
sourceful empire of the west
might forever remain financial
dependency of the money loan
ing interests of the east, it is
quite natural that Insult should
be added to injury in an attempt
to undermine the splendid civil
cation built up in the ozone of
the American Alps. The new
movement on the part of the sin
gle standard advocates follows
the part already played in the
manipulation of affairs as natur-
ally as the gloom of midnight
follows the shadows of the set
ting sun. 1t is an assault upon
the wage system of the west that
has peopled our commonwealth
with patriotic citizens and intel
ligent factors in the affairs CT
state. The first gun from the
gilded battery of the goldites,
aimed at the manhood and wo-
manhood of the west, is fired
from ramparts that wear the
trappings of friendship. Under
date Nov. 6 the Engineering and
Mining Journal of New York
says
With the lower price of silver
the mine owners of Montana are
realizing more than ever the
burden imposed upon them by
the high wages required for min
ing labor and the absolute COZ.
troll exercised by the minars'
unions. The standard of wag S
throughout the state is $3.50 per
day, and this is required for all
work in q mine whether perform
ed by q skilled miner or an orl-
mary laborer. There are many
mines having their chief val es
in silver, which could be wo keo
at profit at lower rate, - pei
day. Meantime the development
of the state is delayed, some
mines are being closed down and
others are likely to follow. 1t
would certainly seem that a gen
eral revision of wages would
benefit a much larger number of
persons than are likely to be in
jured.
The periodical that expresses
the foregoing sentiments assum-
es to be representative of the
mining industry, and through
the liberal patronage of the min
ers and mining men of the west
has attained financial footing
that makes it independent of the
interests it has SO long pretend
ed to serve. When the question
of free coinage of silver was be-
fore the people politically the
Journal cast off its disguise as q
technical trade publication and
came out in an enthusiastic
championship of the position
taken by the advocates of the
gold standard. 1t fought the
silver interests with all the abil-
ity 1t could command and was
particeps- criminis in bringing
about a condition of things has
made profitless the production oil
the white metal. Having assist
ed in the foul assassination of an
industry it should have in honor
sustained. this whited sepulchrc,
like another Macbeth, wonders
why "the damned spot viii not
out" When the logic of the
man who advised his friend tc