Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-22
ITS POSITION.

In an ably written article, entitled
Hedging and Hedgers." the Anaconda
Standard makes the following important
announcement:
There is no earthly eXcuse for any per-
son or newspaper misunderstanding the
position of the Standard with reference
to the Philippine question.
The foregoing is literally true, even if
it did appear in the Standards; and the
Inter Mountain desires to go on record
right here that it never misunderstands
the Standards position, no matter how
often it changes it. It can be said to
the credit Of our contemporaries politi-
cal astuteness that it never takes a posi-
ton of one kind till it has another one in
sight, and a surveying party is not ne
cessary to locate it's next stopping place.
Months ago, when, in common with
the Helena Independent, it was furious
" advocating he withdrawal of the Am
erican troops from Luzon, and the sur
rendering of the Philippines to Aguinal-
do, it could be foreseen, by almost any
"S1 oNCi, tA4ok III oAC III tlAC
Standard would swear that the Filipino
chieftain wanted the federal troops to
remain and protect his government. 1t
was then evident that future develop
its coadjutors of the democratic press,
We're working at cross-purposes with
Aguinaldo when they accused the AM
erican soldiers of fiendish barbarities up
on the natives, and demanded the recog-
milton of the Filipino government! It
was clear that Aguinaldo suffered great
ly from p~rolapsus of the conscience when
he learned that he was called a modern
George Washington by the democratic
press, and hat an effort was being made
to convince the American public that he
should have complete independence, when
all that he wanted was a side issue under
the protecting care of the war depart
ment Of the United States!
The Standard is quite right when it
say there is no excuse for anyone mis-
understanding it's position on the Philip
PAAC W. 4 ooSs
not deny, however, that it has hedged-
that is, to make it more plain, it has
doubl switched the turn and sliced
a hair into shavings in order to get into
speaking distance again with the star
spangled me To modify it's own
position as to Filipino independence it
necessarily had to first readjust Agui-
naldo's position, and try to prove tina
he was a patriot all along, the ''nigge,
in the w%oodpile" being the president Of
the United States. Hence, the flop from
the demand for absolute independence
like that Of our revolutionary forefa'
theirs, to a qualified independence nde
the stars n stripes.
The Inter Mountain does not object
to the Standards change of front, pro,
vided it got tired of standing in one pc,
:ition SO long, but it ought not to JUST
fy itself by trying to show that Presi
dent Mckinley is also a hedser. In max,
ing comparisons it ought to take some.
body of its size. It's declaration tha
the president is a wobbler does not ex
cuse the Standard for resorting to tina
kind of gymnastics. 1t ought to set
better example before the chief execu
tive Of this country.
But it is not so sure that Mckinley ha:
put in as much time webbing as oul
contemporary seems to think. He Ger
tainly steered the country through thu
Spanish-American war with r%emarkabl,
success, and has at least eXcelled hi!
democratic predecessor in office by per
uniting prosperity to get under head
way. A bill of particulars as to tn,
hedging that has been done by the presi
dent is in order. if the Standard wishe,
to discuss the matter on it's merits. TIL,
Inter Mountain objects, however, to TIL,
discussion of the relative merits of tn
Standard and Mr.. Mckinley as hedgers
as they function on different planes: AM
we have unlimited respect for the poe
who once said that comparisons ar,
sometimes odious.
A NEW DEMOCRATIC LEADER.