Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-29

SILVER REPUBLICAN, (s) MEETING.

Eighteen men from eleven different
states. some of whom belong to what is
called the provisional committee of the
silver republican party. are holding a
little meeting in Chicago and pretending
to voice the sentiments of nearly one
men are Dubois of idaho. who is depend
ing upon a fusion in that state for re-
entry INTO public life: Shafroth of Colo
rado. who is in precisely the same fix:
proprietor Of a democratic newspaper
and was the democratic candidate for
congress two years ago: Towne Of Min
nesota. who has been under the owner
ship and pay Of Montana democrats:
and Hartman and Chisholm Of Montana.
who tried to ruin the silver republican
organization last year and turn it over,
bound hand and foot. into the democratic
party. Were the pedigree of others
known the list might be indefinitely ex-
tended.
Doubtless there are some honest, hard
workers for the silver cause in the group.
1t is ridiculous, however, e;r this little
body of self-appointed mentors to speak
with authority for the members of the
silver republican party, who co-oper-
! ated with the democracy in 1896 in the
the restoration Of the white metal. The
so-called executive committee is pro-
visional only in character, arbitrarily
named by a few gentlemen to attend to
the necessary clerical duties of the party,
pending a national convention with
authority to act. No having been
selected by the party itself it has no
right to speak for the party, as to wheth-
er it will or will not cooperate with the
democracy in 1900.
In assuming to exceed its functions,
and outline the course which the silver
republicans of thisc country are to pursue,
at betrays the fact that it has, in ad-
vance Of the actual PRONUNCIATION Of the
of the next campaign, entered into
a scheme to deliver the organization into
the care and keeping of the democracy.
Fearing that the democratic plan to
place silver in the background. that the
wings Of that organization may get
together, may prevent any conscientious
silver republican from voting for it's
nominees, the provisional committee is
trying to deliver its goods in advance.
Were this not true. the committee would
content itself with the performance of the
duties originally delegated % it, namely,
the naming of the time and place for
holding a national convention, if such
q step seemed to be justified by the sit
of affairs.
1t was a stuDendous exhibition of
~adanantine cheek for this little Chicago
meeting, Which is wholly non-represent-
atiEe as to geography and numbers. and
Very largely so as to personnel, to at
tempt to commit the silver republicans
of this nation to the candidacy of the
man to whom the corrupt Tammany ring
of New York is officially pledged. On the
face of it. the movement is a democratic
one. engineered in the personal interests
of the men behind it.
Mr.. Towne, the provisional chairman.
is the leading spirit in the manifested
features of the scheme, and the charge
has been repeatedly made in these coll
that he was under democratic pay. /
If he would accept democratic money in
the past, it requires 10 extraordinary
stretch Of the imagination to account
for his present activity in trying to COM
nit the silver republicans Of this coun-
try to the support of the democratic
party, before it has a nominee in the field
or a platform adopted.
In Mr.. Hartman and Mr.. Chisholm, of
this state, Mr.. Towne has a couple of
who make UP in gush and
enthusiasm what they lack in ability.
Last fall they attempted to destroy the
silver republican organization
n Montana, with h assistance of Mr..
rowne, but were knocked out by the
,ourts and their rump organization de-
Jared illegal. Notwithstanding his, Mr..
chisholm poses as national chairman for