The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-23
Wolcott May Quit.

~HE sensational report that comes
from Washington respecting the
intentions of Senator Wolcott is
not official word-the senator himself
does not say that he has come to the
parting of the ways. The story is
however that the senator discovers him
self to be the victim of duplcity. He
accepted in full faith the idea that
President Mckinley was sincerely
pledged to silver's restoration under an
international agreement; he believed
such an agreement could be brought
about he finds the president through
his secretary Of the treasury fully COM
mitted to schemes that are as thorough
ly goldbug as schemes can be. The re-
port is that Senator Wocott is disgust
ed with the administration. and that he
has in mind the resignation of his seat
in the senate.
1t is easy to believe that Senator VOL
colt is mortified and Disguised. Yet his
course has been quite remarkable. He
is known as a bright, clever, quick
witted politicians. yet many men who
admit that they are a great deal duller
than he, foresaw long ago and as plain
as day the results which he now for
the first time clearly apprehends. Then,
too some of the foremost leaders in the
silver cause were as clear as light on
points respecting which, as events
prove, Mr.. Wolcott was strangely in the
dark Did not Senator Teller see months
ago what is just now dawning on VOL
colts mind? Did not he predict pre-
eisely what has happened? lie did; so
did many other earnest friends of free
coinage.
And this makes twice that Senator
Wolcott has followed false lights. He
did what he could, in 1855, to promote
the election of President Harrison; he
told the siiverites in Colorado that they
could rely on Harrison; he convinced
some of them that silver's safest way
was 10 count on the help of the Har-
rison administration. Mr.. Wolcott lived
to learn that he had been cruelty de-
ceived; before the Harrison admins
tration was many months old he was
making speeches against 1t on the SEN
ate floor. voting against Ii and telling
preferred to be true to his convictions
than to "bask in the sunshine Of execu-
tive favor"
In essential respects Senator Wolcott
is related to the Mckinley administra-
ton when il is a year old, as he was re-
lated TO the Harrison administration,
when il was a few months old. To be
consistent he must cut loose now just
as he was compelled to then.
Yet there is difference The McKin-
ley administrations platform framed at
ST. Louis, made international agreement
its strong point-Mr. Wolcott is one of
the men who believed that the interna-
tional agreement could be accomplished.
He was SO commissioned that he had
every opportunity In the world to bring
England to an agreement If that result
were in the cards. He failed. just as
many good men predicted he would fail.
The senator having failed, the question
will arise in the minds of a good many
people whether men of his views have
any claims on the administration which
the administration is bound TO respect
and whether President Mckinley may
not now find warrant for going the gold
full length.
The senator's friends urge that he Is
the victim of trlckery-and there is no
doubt that he is; his blunder was in
accepting the notion that under the
election of Mr.. Mckinley there was
merit i'm international conference plans.
At any rate. as seems probable. Senator
Wolcott has had enough of Mckinley
silver. Probably he'll |
come out and be separate, as in Harris
3n's time. How much stronger he would |
have been and how much more helpful |
TO the silver cause. If he had pulled true |
all the time and had not blunderd. AS |
il is, his future usefulness 10 the cause |
Of free coinage is guess; but it Is no
guess that If he stops in the company |
he is in now Colorado will cut short his |
senate career. But IL is not easy to see
how Mr.. Woleott can help himself or |
silver by resigning.