The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-10-22
NOT A DEMOCRAT.

democracy. The paper supports
currency reform and strenuously adj.
vocates the free coinage of silver.
No one imputes to it the meFest
tendency toward the single standard
To those who question with sinceri-
ty why the HERALD is not lemorat.
ic the answer is given:
1t is plainly evident that when
eastern and western democracy
again meet in convention they will
have reached "ihe parting of the
ways" The question as to which
shall dominate the convention is the
one which will define the party pol
icy in 1900. Who can say it will
be silver, or gold? Who is SO fool
ish as to predict the course of nat,
ional democracy two years hence
Why should man so stultify him.
self as to Join himself to a party
whose aims and claims are voiced so
variously? The democratic partizan
is today in the midst of cyclone
which may not let him down as
gently as it took him up.
Again: Suppose the democrats
win i'll Montana this year. They
claim they will, and let us allow
they may. If they do, it will be, as
the Kansas City journal says, 'by
the courage of stupidity" But sup.
pose they win. In what particular
will Montana be better than she is
today. AS for MIR. Camphell's sill
yer views they are unreliable, mas.
much as he was a Cleveland demo
crat, and was only recently found in
the silver ranks. Let us hope that
if elected he will prove true.
We have asked time and again:
"Wbat has the democratic party ev.
er done for Montana?' and no an
swer came save the moaning Of the
zephyrs through her native pines.
There is not a democrat in the state
able to point to IA single democratic
measure which has ever benefited
the people Of Montana, and the only
notice by that party the state ever
received, worth remembering is the
almsion by democratic president
to Il group of undesirable states of
which Montana has the honor to be
one.
We would rather be among the
craggs and peaks of sweet liberty,
Independent of political whip crack.
ers, yea, rather be II gold bug, out
right with all the imputations of
Doodle and corruption than to belong
to party without fixed purpose,
whose end might be to transform us
into a Catilline or Il stoting- bottle
THE wind bicweti where it listeth,
and ye hear the sound thereof; but
We cannot tell whence it cometh nor
whittier it goeth.' So is it with ev-
cry one who espouses the cause of
democracy.
These are times Of great political
moment. Never before have there
been such an army of thinking, NOV.
ing, acting men who claim no allie.
glance to party. What is the cause
of all this? Ostensbly and really
the fact that the parties are uncer
tain in the conservation and execu.
ton of their pledges. Parties, like
individuals owe ii to their constitu.
ents to he honest. And whenever a
party breaks pledge, honorably
given, il becomes The duty of the
citizen to break away from that par
ty and stand free to speak, and
write, to act and vote MS in the
emergency seems best. For the
bonest independent people of Amer.
ics are bigger than any party or po-
Htical machine. Ii this is not true,
then the republican form of govern
ment will fall into one or the other
OF two extremes, despotism Or an
arcby. If Americans cannot be
honest with themselves, and With
their country, the whole scheme of
popular government must surely
fall.
1t is therefore not bad omen to
see SO many people reuouueing their
faith in political parties. And let
US hope that the end will be for the