Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-21
THE QUESTION OF TREASON.


cratic press of this state have temporarily
suspended their ardent defense of the
Filipinos, in order to defend themselves
against the lmputation of moral treason
against the government of the United
States, when this country is engaged in
war. No one has. of course. accused
those misguided newspapers of commit
ting any overt act that could be con-
strued as treason per Sc. and no one has
suggested the infection of the punish
ments prescribed by law for a violation
of the constitution.
Their offending has been defined as
moral treason, for want Of a better
name, and consists of an effort on their
part to embarrass the government in it's
prosecution of the war in the Philippines,
with the hope that our troops may be
driven from the stands and the natives
score a victory in a contest Of which the
democratic party does not approve. In
their own way the democratic press are
doing all within their power to encourage
the Filipinos in what they are pleased to
call their struggle for liberty against
their American oppressors. and to dis
courage the federal government in its
efforts to suppress the rebellion and as
sert the sovereignty of the American flag.
The right of the democratic press to
hide behind the excuse that no overt act
against the government is committed by
them in the reasonable license of ex-
a buriesque to designate as free
speech is conceded. But the inference
is Enthusiastically correct, that the reason
their sympathy is not expressed in overt
acts is because the opportunity is lack
ing. 1t cannot be denied that the facili-
ties at their command are used to the
utmost to discredit the federal govern
ment and to encourage its enemies.
To accuse the misguided gentlemen Of
the democratic press of being morally
guilty of treason, when the circum-
stances do not permit them to carry their
opposition to the government to greater
lHS, Ii q H. i VIII lllGS SlDulu
appreciate rather than resent. Insofar
as their sensitive feelings are concerned
1t is indeed fortunate for them that the
contest in the Philippines is so far away
that their opposition to the government,
does not arouse public sentiment to the
levels of the late civil war in this coun.
try, otherwise they could not escape the
Indignation then visited upon the rebe
sympathizer in the north. But the prin
ciple is precisely the same. The Ameri
can flag is just as sacred today as it wa;
thirty-five years ago, and it is just as in
cumbent upon every good citizen to rem
der the government his loyal support il
war. 1t is not for the citizen to Sc
up his own views as to the causes lead
ing up to the war, or the results that ma,
flow therefrom, against the policy of tn
government when engaged in hostilities
in order to discredit the country to which
he owes his standing as a man.
1t does not lessen the offense to quot
literally from the opinions of eminen
JuIFStS DIS 10 WNere the actual crime o
treason begins and leaves off, as did tn
Anaconda Standard this morning. Til
views expressed by recognized authori
ties or constitutional law are not in jssy,e
and only serve to defect public attention
from the local phases of the situation
Were the gentlemen of the democratic
press accused of the crime of high trea
son, in the nature of overt acts aeains
the government, when no such acts ha.
been committed. the musty tones of tn
law might be summoned to their defense
1t is a we'll established principle il
law, however, that the enormity of an Of
Tense must be measured by the intent be
hind it. An intentional and malicious in
fraction of the law calls for the infictio
of greater penalties than the academia
commission of an act which is define
by the statutes as a crime. By parity O
reasoning it might with equal prophet.
be held that while the proving of the in
tent to commit an act against the peac
and dignity Of the commonwealth doe
not subject the offender to the penaltie
prescribed for the crime. 1t nevertheless
betrays his purposes and makes hin