The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1897-12-21
what. the Matter with the ssn.lnslr
In the Dec. 10. 1897, issue of
the Boise Sentinel we read the
fOll0uinor

the Boise Sentinel we read the
following
I'VE are not seeking the plaudits of our enc
mics We are not permitting the Statesman or
any other paper to dictate our editorial policy.
To an occasional populist brother notably
the Challis mESsESGER, we ask: when did you
begin TO take the utterances Of the Statesman
as the official doctrine of populism When did
II become your policy to take the Statesman as
''To every populist in Idaho the Sentinel says
1t would be well to read from our own columns
our expressions on all questions. rather than
tor whose political life depends upon mis-
Interpretation"
To the first clause of this ex-
tract permit us to say that we do
not know of any paper that has
tried to dictate your editorial
policy" We only know of one
who has not, and, surely the
Sentinel must be getting a little
nervous if it fancies we have.
In answer to the first interrog-
atory we would say: "when did"
we "begin to take the utterances
of the Statesman as the official
doctrine of populism ?'' And the
answer is-never. Nor did it
ever become" our ''policy to
take the Statesman as the official
Interpreter of the Sentinel. T" And
if our brother Sentinel will care
fully look over our columns he
will discover that some way or
another he has made a great mis-
take in attributing any of these
faults to the MESSENGER. The
only article that has ever been
published on the faults of some
of our populist friends was in
this paper on Nov. 10, 1897. And
if the Sentinel can find in it any
thing that censnres it's acts, it
can find something that was not
intended; and, furthermore, some
thing we are, yet, unable to see.
Now the whole truth is: When
we read the article in the States
man, we at once, said we did not
believe it, and went Immediately
to the Sentinel and read the ar
ticle that we supposed the States
man referred to. After reading
it, we announced, to all, that we
could discover no such doctrines
as the Sentinel was accredited
with and thought, nor doubt any
more as to the proper course of
the Sentinel; but we deem it an
appropriate time to suggest to
suggest to our friends who had
failed to command all their sup
posed pre-eminence, that distrac-
tions in party rarely won good
results either to the disorgan-
izers or to a cause they claimed
to love. The Coxeyites and Wat
sons and Clagetts and Davises-
in brief, all men who had been
with US, and because they could
not command everything they
wanted in the way of personal
promotion, shrieked that ''they
would have no more to do with
the Bryan democracy" were not
in the line of good work for their
country. We thought the States
man was encouraging them; and
our aim was to discourage them
in their disorganizing efforts:and
to encourage populists in a steady
course. We want no distractions
in the silver ranks-but all dicta-
tors and disorganizers are wanted
in the back car.
We have the utmost faith in
the good work of the Sentinel
and Senator Heitfeld who is be-
lieved. by us, to be in the true
line of populism. And we have
no doubt but that the Statesman,
which is the organ of the gold
part of republicanism, will hit us
a mighty blow whenever it can.
How feeble are getting its blows,
and Bryan democracy, and popu-
lism and silver republicanism
heed them no more.