Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-23
MCKINLEY AND THE STANDARD.

A few days since the Anaconda Stand
ard, in reply to the accusation that i
referred to it's accusers as follows: "Ane
vet those same people are gushing al
over the president, who never in his life
dealt with a great public question with
out hedging" The Standard then made
the allegation that Mckinley had hedgec
on the tariff question, and shifted his
position on the Spanish war almost every
hour of the day" 1t also stated that the
president had hedged in his policy as to
u and the Philippines.
The Standards attack on the president
was made to Justify it's own brilliant ac-
complishments as a hedger. whereupon
the Inter Mountain insisted that the
Standard and the president ought to be
segregated. hen it came to the matter
of hedging, as they occupy different
fields of usefulness, and it was mani
testify unfair for a great democratic
organ to hide itself behind the weak
nesses of a republican president! We
called for a bill Of particulars as to Nc
Kinley's hedging, hoping the Standard
would discuss that gentleman's delin-
%quencies in the Spanish-American war.
in Cuba and in the Philippines, as we'll
as in matters pertaining to tariff legisla-
ton.
Nothing is in greater demand at the
present time, in a political way, than a
So many vague and indefinite accusa-
tons are hurled against the a%dministra-
ton that a bill of particulars, covering
all its crimes and outrages on the public,
ought to be furnished by the democratic
organs, whose only mission on earth is
t. protect the country from going to
ruin. While the president would require
no defense against such a bill of par
ticulars, it would give our democratic
friends an opportunity to find out what
makes them feel so badly in their politi-
'di pleAuS, ana thus conserve an elee-
mosynary purpose.
The Inter Mountain is disappointed,
therefore. to see it's ably edited contem-
Iorary condense it's voluminous general
tiles as to the presidents hedging into a
so-called bill of particulars" in which
the exhibit is confined to one particular.
namely, MS attitude on the silver uues-
ton. The Standard endeavors to show
that the president was once in favor of
the free coinage of silver. but has
changed his mind. But in this exhibit
the STANDARD again betrays it's weakness
for placing itself in comparison with the
president, as it accuses the chief execu-
tive of doing precisely what it has itself
accomplished in that line.
tnquestionably, the president, while a
binletallist, does not look upon the free
coinage ratio of 16 to l as essential to
the financial salvation of the country
and he is of the opinion that the rela-
tive values of silver and gold should be
regulated by the worlds exchanges. The
following paragraph. in which the Ana
II Standard so clearly and succinctly
expressed its own views on the si1ve,
question, is substantially the position
taken by President Mckinley:
The Standard is one of the newsnap ers
That have felt that an actual statement
or the ratio is not a vital factor in sill
Ner's restoration. The ratio is a mat
ter of law; it has varied slightly in our
own currency; our ratio has also varied
slightly from the one that has ruled in
some other countries. The worlds ex-
changes practically fix the ratio.
1t will be seen hat if the president ha.
Wobbled on the silver question, the STAN
dard has wobbled with him, and is indi-
rectly seeking to justify it's own deser-
ton Of the free coinage ratio by accus-
ing Mr.. Mckinley of being another! If
the Standard is right in it's position on
the free coinage proposition, the presi-
dent is right. If the Standard mistakes,
then is the president likewise in error.
The Inter Mountain is of the opinion
that both are wrong, in holding that the
ratio is not a vital factor in the proper
by the worlds exchanges.
Inasmuch as the Standard seems to
court a comparison of itself with the
president, going to the extent of censur-
ing that official for pursuing a course