Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-30
MONDAY, OCTOBER 81, $780,
"NOTH/NC TO DEBATE

Standard, under the caption Nothing to
Debate devoted half a column or more
to showing that inasmuch as the news
papers supporting the war policy of the
administration had raised the question
of patriotism, charging the enemies of the
government with treason" there was
nothing to debate. 1t reasons thus:
If one side of a question is treason and
the other side pure and exalted patriot
ism. that completely settles the merits Of
the controversy and leaves nothing open
for debate.
If the Standard is willing to accept the
conclusions of the which sus-
tain the war policy of the administration,
and retire from the field, the Inter Noun
tain has no objections to raise. But as
public questions are matters Of concern
to the people, they rise above the opin-
ions which one newspaper ma entertain
as to the value Of another's logic, and
should be freely discussed by the press.
The excuse advanced by the Standard
is not a legitimate one, unless it intends
to convey the impression to its readers
that the administration supporters are
right.
Being the leading democratic paper in
Montana, setting the pace for the smaller
fry on all such matters as governmental
policies, and the retirement Of the free
coinage ratio, it is not at all likely that
the Standard will confess itself in The
wrong as to any proposition Of public in
terest upon which it may have committed
that the course pursued by the admins
tration is as justifiable as the circum-
stances will allow, it would seem to be a
duty which the Standard owes to a fever
ish constituency to allay their anxiety
about the demnition bow-wow to which
the country is said to be drifting under
republican rule, by showing that bour-
bonism offers the only true pathway to
national safety and success.
1t was with no intention of embarrass-
ing our ably edited contemporary that the
Inter AlOulildlu SuSSGStSu lIit lled u Il
thorough review of the questions now
before the public, and which, in the ma
ture Of things, will become controversial
topics next year in the national campaign
This paper had in mind only the propri-
ETY. of enlightening the public through the
arguments which the Standard might ad
i, 1-oro r. not for tic ippata r,n3octy
in the realms of debate. 1t would bt
much easier for the reading public t.
weigh the merits of public questions il
the calm of the present, rather han wher
intoxicated by the brass bands and rec
fire with which the democracy will en,
deavorto bewilder the people when the ex
elements of a national campaign are on
With it's acute sense of fair play in poll
tics. the Standard certainly has not over
looked the possibility of persons beins
misled during the hurrah of a campaign
who, would ave carefully studied publit
questions or their merits We're the pro-
and cons set before them in the quietud
of the days that ante-date the storm.
- =
Without wishing to chaperone the polit
ical course of our contemporary, or t
inVeigle it into any line OF work that i
inconsistent with it's views of duty, tn
Inter Mountain annot forbear the opin
ion that it would be much wiser for tn
Standard to enter into a vigorous defens
of its proposition to retire the free coin
age ratio of Is to l, and have the relativ
values of silver and gold determined b
the worlds exchanges, rather than put o
that duty to its dignity until the mex
campaign ripens into a torrent of politicf
tumult, and it finally overlooks that vi
discharged obligation to the people. A
the Standard will endeavor to carry Nor
lana for the democracy next year, on tn
free coinage issue, Notwithstanding tn
fact that its party leaders have relegate