Daily inter mountain., 1899-07-24
DILEMMA OF THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

1t has been long apparent that the
democratic press in the silver states We're
unable to either explain or defend the
well organized movement in that party
looking to the substitution of some ques-
ton other than free coinage for the para
mount issue of 1900. For local political
reasons they deem it necessary to make
pretence Of friendship for the white
metal whenever they can do so without
imperlling the plans which are being
formulated for the reunion Of the gold
and silver wings of the democracy. They
dare not publish line in criticism of
their party leaders, or in explanation of
the steps they have taken to bring about
reconciliation between the gold wing
of that party and the so-called silver ee.
ment within it's ranks.
The Inter Mountain has repeatedly
called attention to the fact that Mr.. w. j.
Bryan, who is slated for denomination
for the presidency in 1900, took emphatic
grounds in favor of making the trusts the
forcing to the front the paramount issue
of 1896, in the conference at st. Louis
some weeks ago. Not a single so-called
silver democratic paper in the silver pro-
ducing states has even entered a mild
protest against placing the 16-to-1 issue
in the rear. At the recent meeting of the
;,,r Mr.
refused to vote the proxies he held when
the interests of silver We're twice in is
sue. He held aloof when the anti-silver
democrats, under the leadership Of Mayor
Harrison. made fight to depose from the
head Of the national literary bureau that
we'll known champion of free coinage, Mr..
fort to the silver men under the leader
ship of Ex-Governor Altgeld.
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OF course, it was the privilege of Mr..
Bryan to hold his peace, and keep his
proxies from Michigan and South Dakota
in his pocket when the struggle was go
ing on to rob the silver wing of the de-
mocracy of the political advantage of
having a devoted champion at the head
of the press bureau which would dissem-
mate it's literature, but it can be ex
planned upon no other theory than that
he did not wish to antagonize the gold
wing of his party. This being the case,
the so-called silver democratic newspa-
pers make no reference to the incident.
The same construction must be placed
upon Mr.. Bryan's refusal to make him
self heard in the national committee
when that body was asked to pass a
resolution favorable to giving free COIN
age a place in the platform of the next
national convention.
Judge Tarvin, who formally presented
the request of the silver men that such
action be taken, with the statement that
the advocates of free coinage would not
support the democracy unless this re-
quest was acceded to, was dismissed with
the sarcastic remark that their support
would be asked for when needed! The
committee that kicked Devlin out of his
job of disseminating silver literature had
little hesitancy in refusing to pass a
resolution in favor of making the para
mount issue of 1896 the paramount issue
in 1900. And Mr. Bryan held his peace,
and refused to vote. Initiating the ex-
ample of their leader, the so-called silver
democratic newspapers likewise hold
their peace.
But while Mr.. Bryan, and other men
high in the councils Of the democratic
party, take one step after another look
ing to the harmonizing of the two wings
of that organization on a financial COM
promise the democratic press keep up q
feeble show Of fidelity to the cause" by
have little influence in the future affairs
of that party. The cheapest and easiest
way in which these so-called silver news
papers can do their posturing before the
public is to attack the personality Of the
lesser lights of the democracy, who have
courage to tell the truth about their party
leaders.
-
Notably, the Hon. George, w. Keeney
president Of the Association of Silver
Clubs. is at present a convenient target
No attempt is made to answer his argu