Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-15
FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER Is, 1899.
DEMOCRATIC DiSLOYALTY TO n LIVER.

A feeble effort is being made by demo-
cratic newspapers of the Helena hide
pendent type to show that the Inter
silver. Such efforts are intended to be
retaliatory in character. inasmuch as it
has been eonclusively shown in these
columns, from time to time, that the de-
mocracy is a s~elf-confessed traitor to the
white metal.
Democratic journals and democratic
orators have been permitted to plan and
proclaim against a union of the silver
forces. to repudiate the free coinage ratio
of 16 to /, to push bimetallism into the
background to make room for a para
mount issue of a different type. to sup
press the discussion of the issue in I'M
friendly communities, without one word
of protest from the Helena Independent
and its ilk. Because the Inter Mountain
followed it's fight for silver in 1896 with
declarations in favor of maintaining the
same policy of cooperation that was then
endorsed, because it has insisted that
the democracy remain true to the free
coinage pledges OF that year. because it
has pointed out to the public the dis
graceful webbing of the bourbon leader
slyip-their s~elf-advertised efforts to rele-
gate the fundamental principles of free
coinage to the rear-their thinly dis
guised designs to patch up party defec-
tons at the expense of silver, and abro-
gate their high-sounding professions of
the past-this paper has been pointed out
as the enemy of the white metal.
The candid student of the political stu
ation-the man who keeps his eye on the
current of events-recognizes the truth
of every assertion made in these columns
respecting democratic treachery to the
cause of free coinage. Like sounding
brass and tinkling cymbals the demo-
cratic press of this state nave yelled and
howled and screecled for silver, while
giving their approval to the men and
measures that stand for the ~relegation of
free coinage in the national campaign of
next year.
NIiAIOuS u III isSlc lHdL dpICalS l
the self-intcrest of our people, the bour-
bon organs of Montana desire a general
reference to bfmetallism in the national
platform of their party to enable them to
elaborate on democratic fidelity to the
cause, yet will give their hearty assent
to the omission of the free coinage ratio
from their political creed in order to
unity the discordant elements within
their lines, and, as they hope, make room
for the larger successes in the field of ma
tional politics. From their course of pro-
cedure it is impossible to interpret the
attitude of the democratic press of this
state in any other way, than that they
want enough silver in the platform to
enable them to keep up an agitation in
the silver states. but not enough to an
tagonize the large and influential gold
standard. elements which dominate the
democracy of the east.
In other words, they seek to prostitute
the issue. of free coinage to the plane
of political jugglery, for the temporary
convenience of the bourbon appetite for
Office in the silver states, dropping it out
of view in other fields, and condemning
it to the shades of the political past after
the national battle shall have been
fought Such is the attitude of the demo-
cratic press of Montana-such is the atti-
tude of the democracy elsewhere.
Men who nave the true interests OF
silver at heart are sick and tired of the
treachery and chicanery which charac.
terize the movements of the democratic
leaders They recognize the fact tina the
political organization which has placed
free coinage in the Observation-Disclosures
ated it. degraded it, crushed tin orde,
to push to the forefront an issue that is
dangerously close to the borderlines OF
treason. has no claim upon the confidence
and support of the men who once accept
ed it's professions of loyalty in good faith
Silver has less to fear from the open
enemies of free coinage, as the years
come and go, than it has from those who
stab it to the death under a hypocritica]
cloak OF professed friendship. An avowed