The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-21
Big and Little.
Z IHEN the silver question was
w the burning issue in congress
n goldbug press was always

wv the burning issue in congress.
the goldbug press was always
harping on the fact that the silver side
was defended by senators representing
the little states" and that IL was a
wrong arrangement that gave to these
constituencies as much weight on roll
call as is enjoyed by the larger and
weather. and more populous COM
monwealths.
1t makes all the difference in the
world which foot the shoe Is on. Sew
eral Of the ewspapers we have referred
to are singing another June ~now-they
are directing attention to the fact
those of them that are administration
partisans-that the better element" in
the senate comes from the smaller
states. For example, the Boston Herald
remarks that little Delaware comes to
the front with one OF the wisest and
ablest of senator's. and Rhode Island
has a man i'm the senate with the ca
pacity for the best service IN matters
of practical legislation, but New York
and Pennsylvania senator's are never
heeded-it would be regarded as simply
absurd to suggest counsel from them I'm
craftsmanship. Their sphere is solely
politics. and politics of the lowest and
most corrupting school. They rave
neither ambition nor capacity to at
tempt anything beyond this"
What the Boston Herald says about
Mr.. Aldrich and Mr.. Gray is true; for
Mr.. Gray especially all men who like
to see uprightness and ability in the
senate must entertain a feeling of ad-
miration. What the Herald says in
criticism of Plat n Quay is also
true. as far as it goes. only. IL all the
truth were told about the pair, the
Boston newspapers criticism of them
would be a good deal severer. Other
small states figured during the recent
senate debate. There is West Virginia,
Mr.. Elkins is n of its senator's and,
not to rob Quay of any ~laurels, Elkins
is the biggest jobber of them all. He
happened to be on the side Of the Cuban
question which the Boston Herald want
ed to have win. Then there Is the com
p~aratively little state of Connecticut
~ WV bit "tit vi ~ q
side. And there are others. The Bos'
ton Herald is only one of several news
papers in which we have recently reaC
the praises of the smaller states.
How was it when the silver question
was up? Nevada is "A little bit of {
state-measured by the things that g
toward making up a commonwealth
material greatness. Senator Jones /
from Nevada, and it is probably not to
much to say that in this country Their
is not a man who is his superior in mas
terry of all the elements that make N
the silver question. Every senator real
ICES this. Yet not SO very long ag
like the Boston Herald wer
deploring the fact that this master q
the money problem should be the pee
on roll call of Quay, whose total fun
! OF information amounts to positive ig
norance on the silver question.
Then-not to go outside the feebles
Of all the states-there is Senate
Stewart of Nevada. a brainy, independ
ent, clear-minded man who knows I'll
y literature and the practical side of III
currency question from A to II. tt
gold organs to which we are r%eferrin
have denounced him in season and OF
OF season as an undesirable represer
u tative of a rotten borough yet, I'm sue
a matter as the money question. becau'
the man happens to vote their wa
they have a very high opinion of NJ
Quay's colleague in the senate-and v
wager that not fifty per cent. Of Il
k newspaper readers in this country ca
say offhand this morning who that &C
e league is, so completely is Pennsylv
/. MAS other senator Mr.. Quay's man Fl
e day. 1t all depends which foot Il
rs shoe is IN.
lie The difference sand we insist tn
= IL is a difference which time and te
he have sharply ~defined-that the We
l. less provincial in its views. has be
more Just in it's estimate Of men in n
y tional politics: IL has not. under a
~ circumstances. withheld the measure
~ respect that is due to such excellent m
y, as senator Gray or Senator Hawley
" Senator Hoar or Senator Morrill,. har
:. as some Of them have been. in tn,
time. in their criticism Of that which I
i, West believes To be right.
"