The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1897-05-21

oiSIa OHCuSlNc thuu tlic 1OilOWI I'S
words:
1T was rude awakening for the
negligent and over-confdent, and Il
day of terror for soEer and patriotic
men. when the bold promoters of this
reckless creed (free coinage Of silver
captured the organization of power
ful political party. and seizing its ban
noTs shouted defiance to the astonis he'd
conscience and conservatism of this
country -
If that does not mean that two-thirds
OF the National Democratic convention
at Chicago. representing three fourths
OF the Stares and more than three
fourths Of the De nocratic voters OF the
country, We're scoundrcls with con-
science, then it means nothing at all.
Then he adds:
Hosts OF honest men in blind loyal
ty gathered behind the party flag they
had been accustomed to follow. failing
TO discover that their party legends
had been eifaced. -
if that does not imply that the
1, 800, 900 old line Democrats who voted
for VIM. j. Bryan are so ignorantly
between right and wrong, We shall be
tatiOn.
In which category Mr.. Cleveland
places the Silver Republicans and Pop
ulists who voted the same way we
dou know, and to speak frankly, we
don't care Having 70 his own salts
faction fixed tho status ot the six and
a half millions who voted for Mr..
Bryan, he then virtually accuses the
c Loo NJ Il
hOnor in returning "lu bot haste to
their wallowing in the mire Of extreme
DrOtectiOn,' us he ChaStely (3 eX-
presses it. How the Republican party
can return in hot haste to wa!low in
something that it has never for a mo-
meut been away from or cut Of, per-
haps Mr. Cleveland can explain, but
nobody else can. During The last oam-
paign the Republican party never
swerved hairs breadth from it's old
time position on the tariff, and Mr.
Cleveland knew it as well as he knows
anything.
BY the plaincst implication, upon
this point, he was guilty of downright
Misunderstanding less. 4 man who
resorts to so gross and shameless mis-
statement as that is not to be trusted in
anything that he may say, ana is de-
cldedly out of place as SELF -cOnsti-
tuted apostle Of national honor. He
was simply trying to create the i'm
preston that he lent his aid 10 the
election Of Mckinley in the belief that
the Republican party had changed its
attitude Oh the subject of protection.
1t is impossible for this to be true
unless he was stupidity personifed, in
which case it does not lie in his mouth
to talk about Ghosts Of honest men
failing to discover anything. Mr..
Cleveland political career has been
without 4 parallel in history, and his
present position stands without a coun-
Jerpart in the life Of any man living
or dead. In the first place he was an
accident pure and simple, which
the peculiar political situation thrust
upon his party. He was elected upon
platform pledging him aud his party
to the 'gold aud silver money of the
Constitution. which means both met
ais freely coined, but he repudiated that
portion of the platform before he even
took his seat. He was at outs with his
party upon the money question all
through his first term but that was
not then the paramount issue, and lie
was endured. There being 30 other
available candidate he was renomin-
ated, but defeated. In 1892 he was
again elected upon platform the main
provision Of which was tariff re-
form. - The platform also demanded
the repeal of the "Sherman Law
but coupling with it declaration in
favor of the use of gold and silver upon
equal terms as TO coinage aud legal
tender. In the early part Of 1893 he
called Congress together III extraordin-
ary session. For what? Was it to re-
wise the tariff in accordance with the
demand embodied in the platform, and
upon which issue the campaign had
been mainly fought: Oh, no. Was it
to carry out the declaration in favor Of
repeating the "Sherman Law and
providing for the equal use of both
gold and silver? Certainly not The
great issue of tariff reform which had
been his hobby, was thrust into the
background. The declaration in favor
of the equal use Of gold and silver as
regards coinage and legal tender, was
as completely ignored as if it had
never been written, and the extra ses-
sion was called for the sole purpose Of
repeating the ''Sherman Law" The
declaration in favor of equal coinage
and legal tender he never expected to
carry out. His acceptance of 1t with
cut protest, was as base q fraud as it
is possible for public man to perpe-
trate.
1t was crime, committed with
mai ,e prepense. He allowed five and
half millions Of his brother Demo-
Gratis to vote for him in blind and
rustful confidence that whatever his
personal views might be, he would at
least acquiesce in the wishes of the
great party which had honored and
made him Not Il suggestion did he
offer that there was anything "dishon-
orable" or undemocratic in the idea
of free coinage. His evident purpose
was to again reach the presidency, by
any means or methods, and then force
his party into line with his own per-
sonal views
On the question of repeating the
Sherman Law, unacconpanied by
any legislation in the interest of silver,