The Ravalli Republican., 1898-08-31
MONTANA POLITICS..
The political situation in Mont;

| lEc pOlltlcal SITUATION in Montana
has not changed a whit from its con-
dtion OF two months ago. Then
everybody was at sea. That is prac-
tically the condition Of things at this
writing. ... @.." M
A little more than a month from
today three political parties will meet
in this city. 1t will be one of the
most interesting gatherings that ever
met III Montana, Without question
all interest in the November contest
will center in the election OF mem
bcrs Of the legislature who have a
vote for United States senator; that
is to say, interest among the big pol
iticilns. Among the small fry there
will be Il general scramble for county
office. Whether fusion tickets Or
straight tickets will be put in the
field for the county offices will prob
ably be left to the will Of the county
conventions.
Among large score Of democrats
a feeling Of big -headcdness undoubt-
edly exists. They labor under the
impression that they can win single
handed as well as by fusion. That is
the feeling that prevails in Deer
Lodge and Silver Bow counties. In
this county the silver republicans and
populists, if they consent to fusion.
will be given the crumbs from the
democratic pie counter. So aggrcs-
sivc are the democrats in their pre-
sumption Of power that the silver re-
publcans and populsls are seriously
debating whether they shall listen to
the siren song Of the democracy or
not. Tile latter argue that the local
campaign will have no effect upon
the national result, as it affects sill
yer. Viewing it in this light, aud
not waving any Of their loyalty to
the cause OF free coinage, they are
likely to get together and show the
Deer Lodge democrats that they are
not tho only pebbles. One thing APP
pears ccrtain-ncithcr the silver re-
pub!icans nor the populists arc going
to crawl and beg to DC given Il place
on the democratic ticket. So much
for Deer Lodge county.
The Standard and the Helena IN
dependent arc not saying much these
duvs about fusion. The Standard
has not come out yet and declared in
favor Of corporation. or course
everybody knows that it favors fusion.
, The Independent is quite mum on
the s, bjcct, while the Butte Miner
is bowling itself hoarsc against the
idea The Inter Mountain is quite
persistent in its advocacy Of fusion
J and the couuJry democratic papers,
) generally arc opposed to it. The re-
publican press Of the state, as Il rule
) is in the hands Of the administration
republicans and they arc doing some
telling work in bringing back the
silver republicans to the fold They
; are also advocating the almost i'm
) possible task of trying to bring tho
; gold republicans and silver ropubli
J cans together.
! Many heretofore staunch silver re.
: publicans arc. .wavcring and it would
? take but little cause to have then
c return to their party. Certain it is
that very little hope exists to ec'
Montana back into the republican
column, while fusion exists. The
question that the silver republican:
. arc dcbatng is. why cannot rcpub
lican who believes in silver still re
main loyal to the cause Of free coin
age, and agree with his party on al
other principles, and still do just a:
. effective work for silver when the oc
r. casiOn arises? The democrats vii
;, say that Hanna insists that silver b,
not recognized in the party platform
Hanna, be banked. lie is not TIN
whole party and the chances are tina
the next republican national conEcn
ton will turn him and all his kint
! out as cfectualIy rs Grover Cleveland
and his tribe were knocked into ;
state of noc,louS dislctudc.
:, These are the things that silyc
rcpuhlicAns---lnany Of thcm--arc dc
batting in their minds. They do no
feel like forever being political non
entities, which the democrats Woulf
make of them. They doubt not tha
Montana will always be represented
:. in congress by good and true silve
u men, whether they be republicans
Z: democrats or populists. The rcpub
) lican partT by right ought to be TIL
dominant party in this state. a lar9
element Of republicans set aside thci
lifelong principles to help the caus
Of free coinage, which the democrat
:, defeated by voting for Mckinley
y The democratic party can never b
~ depended upon. When it had con
! troll of both houses nf congress it dc
fcatcd many free coinage bills ant
the people of Montana have no guar
antec that they will not do likcWis
again. We take it. then, that tn
} times do not require that the silHc
j. republicans should fuse in order t
j guarantee that silver men will repre-
II sent Montana in the next congress
IL If the party decides, however, lIIa
fusion is for the best, We shall be sal
lshcd We would much prefer, no"
: ever seeing the republicans again i
control Of the government OF tn
J. state and counties. They have
II goldc1 opportunity to effect this re
IS suit this fall. whether they get i
J. alone as republicans or silver rcpul
e lcans. Nincty.iivc per cent. Of tn
= Montana republicans are silver mcr
= and we venture to predict that eve
. the regular republican party Of thi
"a state viii have silver plank in it
1T platform. Anaconda Recorder. sl