The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-14

I HuoiIduc III N pDCitlOu NntIC tttt mus
either renoun their loyalty TO silver Of
their allegiance to the national republi.
can party. With them IL became a ques
ton of turning their backs upon theil
individual interests and the interests OF
their state; of repudiating their former
pledges and declarations of sacrificinE
their consistency and self-respect, or oi
abandoning the political party viii
which many of them had associated tnl
a lifetime. And this cruel aftermath q
was thrust upon them at the selfish de-
mand and dictation of the great finaI.
cial interests Of the Gas without the
slightest care or concern what sacrifices
their policy Involved for comhnunities
which had ever stood loyal to the ma
tional republican organization. The re-
suit was that the republicans I'm Mon
tana. as in many other states. were di-
vided.
"A careful analysis of the vote 80
1894 and 1896 shows that upwards of IT,
600 out of a total of about $500 repub-
lican votes were cast for Bryan and
silver, demonstrating hat a large ma
1ority of the republicans of Montana
had refused to follow the national re-
publican party in its desertion of the
silver cause.
AN effort was made by the party 10
arrange a compromise by which its or
~ganization in this state might be kept
Intact. yet leaving each individual
member To follow his convictions IN
national issues. This angemen was
based on the hope and belief that ere
another election rolled round the sill
yer question might happily be settled,
either through international bimetal-
ism IL Mckinley was elected, or by the
Independent opening of our own minis
IL Bryan should succeed. Subsequent
events have destroyed these hopes. In
$50 fAonI Naturalization. -. - "
tempted and has failed. For the pres
ent il is dead. In the meantime the ma
tiona administration has drifted near
er and nearer to the single gold stand
ard, until now IL may be truthfully
said that the national republican party
is absolutely and unqualifiedly commit
ted To that financial policy. In that
party there is therefore at this momen
no ray of hope for silver and the hun
dreds of thousands of silver miners.
those dependent upon them. whose
property has been destroyed and rem
dered worthless, together with the mil
lions of Others whose burdens have been
unjustly increased by legislation hostile
to the white metal. must turn in Olhrr
directions for justice and relief.
The question / am constantly asked
now, as chairman of the state silver re-
publican party, is, What is the proper
policy for silver republicans to pursue
at this time, in view of all the circum
stances and of the approaching cleo
tom ] find no difficulty in answering
1t. The situation is not materially
changed, except for the worse. as it re-
lates to silver. since the campaign Of
1896. Events have fully indicated the
wisdom and consistency of the course
we then pursued. The reasoning which
then held good holds good still. The
arguments in favor Of the restoration
- F1.raa a-.A.. - II.
every days experience. Here in Mon
tana the question still possesses all it's
original interest. our silver mills are
mostly closed, and our mines idle.
Property surrounding and dependent
upon them is next to valueless. Mon
tana is a silver producing state and *
needs no words from me to picture the
added prosperity which would come 10
all our people in every nook n corner
of the commonwealth should the cause
of bimetallism triumph.
silver republicans should maintain
and perfect their organization i'm every
precinct and county Of the state and
thus keep themselves in a position 10
continue the fight for silver. In Thu
way only can the desired result be ac-
complished. Strong delegations of rep
resentative men should be sent to the
state at Anaconda. They
should hold themselves ready and VIII
ing to cooperate with the silver forces
of the state. making silver the para
noun issue. 10 the end that an exam
pie of harmony and unity may be pre-
scented which shall strengthen the great
u at home and abroad, both FOR
the present and I'm the future. The plan
OF cooperation, to be logical and COM
plete, should embrace the districts ana
counties, as well as the state.
IF the opponents of cooperation with
Ia 4lA ill., -. l. Alaf1 49,
and a broad n liberal policy of co-ope-
ration among the silver forces shall fail,
let the fault not lie at our door. In such
an event the silver republicans must
determine what their own course shall
be, keeping always in view. however,
the paramount importance Of bimetal-
lism as the great principle of our party
as well as the success and prosperity of
all our industrial interests. In any
event, let us maintain the silver repub-
organization and strengthen it at
every point. This is essential from any
and every point Of view.
silver rep9blpans are %gratifed and
for w4pttver prosperity has
to our ,5SSxeRrowers and others
through the nlSafanr of the new protec-
tive tariff. they fAcall with satisfaction
it was thefyotA& of silver men in the
United States ssnate. active or passive,
WHICH ildue tHeSe results possible. They
ask the wool growers. the lead
miners, the barley producers and all
who have been benefited. to join them
in the effort to restore silver to its old
as a full money metal to the
end that all sections and all classes of
our people may be prosperous alike.
The silver republican platform of
silver and protection is the only one
presented to the people of our state
which has equal regard for the welfare
of all our citizens. Standing upon tbs
solid foundation and advocating these
twin factors of prosperity. we may
boldly and successfully challenge free
traders on the one hand and gold men
on the other. Free silver and free trade
will not make Montana prosperous and
its people happy. neither will protection
and the gold standard bring this glad
result.
In conclusion ] appeal TO the men Of
Montana, who, in 1896. put principle
above party and stood loyal and true to
their own convictions, To their own in
tereStS and 10 all the interests Of pur