Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-17
GETTING AWAY FROM SILVER,

The movement among so-called silver
democrats to retire the silver issue is
daily gaining Roadway. Aside from a
few western newspapers, which lack the
nerve to stand up and fight for the free
coinage ratio OF is to l. few democratic
authorities can now be lined up in favor
of making silver the paramount issue in
1900. From the standpoint of those who
would gladly welcome the reconciliation
of the white metal, the situation is one
that points to the unerring stupidity and
treachery of the democratic leaders.
Every day adds fresh recruits to the army
of democratic managers and manipula-
tors in favor Of RELOCATING silver to the
rear, while every day advertises the in
creasing fexibility of the %backbones of
the would-be champions of free coinage
in that political organization.
The Inter Mountain has quoted quite
literally from the remarks of silver demo-
Gratis. showing an almost universal de-
sire on their part to place silver in the
background in order to unite the eastern
and western wings of the democracy for
the contest of next year. 1t is only IN
silver states like Montana, where the
democrats wish to retain the issue for
the sole purpose of locally bamboozling
the people, that any attempt is being
made to show that free coinage will be
the paramount issue in 1900. Even in
the silver states, the course of the demo-
cratic party has been such as to inspire
the opponents of silver to push ahead in
their demands that the white metal be
subordinated to other questions in the
forthcoming presidential contest. With
the democratic press of the silver states
a unit against the policy of cooperation
on the part of the silver parties, and
openly declaring that the ratio of values
between gold and silver must be regu.
lated by the worlds exchanges, the
democratic leaders in other states are
not slow to take the hint and loudly
clamor for some paramount issue more
AAAApO1 loAl ludll Lex COllldSc.
One of the latest silver democrats o.
prominence to declare himself as to The
issues of 1900 is Hon. George w. Keeney
president of the Association of Silver
Clubs. He is one of the men to whom
the silver advocates have looked for such
IN organization of the political forces
in the east as would insure the re-adop.
ton of the Chicago platform in all it,
essential features, and commit the de
mocracy to an aggressive fight for FIRE,
coinage at a ratio of 16 to l by the indie
pendent action Of this republic. Las
night however, Mr.. Keeney said to &. re
porter Of the New York Times:
l do not think that free silver coinas,
will be made the principal issue in tn,
platform the democrats will adopt mex
year. If Mr.. Bryan obtains control o
the convention he will of course see tina
silver has a prominent place in the plat
form, but no man or faction can, l be
leve, force that issue back into the prom
lnence 1t had in 1896. The party fears i
would have no chance of winning OF
that old issue. Besides, there is a clamo
for new issues and a fight along new
lines.
Coming from the president of an asso
citation of silver clubs, the foregoing ha
a significance which must be recognize,
by all. Mr.. Keeney does not believe tn,
free coinage issue can be forced into III
prominence it attained in 1896, which !
a confession that the silver democrats d,
not intend to make the effort and ar
a~pologizing in advance. He is sure tina
the party fears that it would have n
chance of winning on that issue if It al,
push 1t to the front-a fear, by the way
that accounts for the course pursued b,
the so-called silver democratic news
papers of the west. Mr.. Keeney, in com
mon with other silver democratic leaders
does not take time to deplore the condi
tons that seem to be crowding free coin
& to the background, but makes hast
to recognize the "clamor' for new issue
along new lines.
So it seems, after all, the democratic
demand for the retirement of the fra,
coinage issue mounts to a clamor! An,
all this in the face of the announce
ment. gravely made by the western dem
ocratic press. that ever Tammany is fall,