The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-02
IN Straight Facts.

TT will be a cause for deep regret to
this page IL the Standard. at the
threshold OF the new year, finds it.
self compelled to conclude that Its val
ued contemporary. the Inter-Mountain,
proposes to back down from certain
solemn engagements. We are compelled
to revert this morning to a matter
which would have been a part OF last
years closed-up business. so far as GER
tain p~rellminaries are concerned. had
our Granite-street %neighbor not beea
unfortunately backward I'm it's manner of
winding up some OF 1885 outstanding
engagements.
Briefly. the case Is this. Last Thurs
day the Inter Mountain permitted it's
Washington correspondence to say. re-
speeding current opinion in that city:
Many expressions hsve been heard.
coming from prominent democrats both
i'm official and congressional life, that
the democrats of Montana made a great
mistake. politically. when they repud-
lated the silver republicans and the
populists prior to the recent election"
Promptly the Standard impugned this
assertion. This newspaper said. last
Friday. that the Inter Mountain cannot
make Its correspondents word good.
and II added: 1T Is not true that these
Washington people put the case as the
Inter Mountains correspondent recltes
1T Is not at all true. The Standard
challenges the Inter Mountain to a Joint
inquiry into this assertion. We wager
that tho Intar Mountain aan,a, ,.al.o
It's correspondents words good, on the
testimony that can easily be taken in
Washington"
That evening-last Friday-the Inter
Mountain took account OF what the
Standard had said. and IL added. "the
challenge IL most cordially accepted"
Next morning the Standard expressed It's
satisfaction over this acceptance on the
part OF the Inter Mountain. and il
promptly named a trusted and exper-
fenced man-to whom the Inter Noun
tain certainly cannot object-to repre-
sent the Standard in the proposed joint
inquiry.
All that Is lacking Is for the Inter
Mountain. for its part. to name its man.
Unfortunately. our Contemporary did
not do that last Saturday. on the con-
trary. the Inter Mountain revealed
what. we are bound To say. looks very
much like a purpose to evade the issue
the Standard" II said Saturday.
cares nothing about the qualifying
which show why the prom
inent democrats have expressed their
regrets. etc"
That's right; the Standard cares
nothing at all about the alleged qualify
ing statements. The original state
ment is the one which the Standard
challenged: and the Inter Mountain ac-
cepted the challenge. That is the state
ment which was distinctly quoted
namely, these words in Thursdays
Washington correspondence in the Inter
Mountain:
Many expressions have been heard COM
Ing from prominent democrats both in
Official and congressional life. that the
OF Montana made a grave mis-
take. politically. when they repudisted
the silver republicans and the populists
prior to the recent election.
We assert that this statement is un-
true. IL II Is. then the alleged quail
flying statements" are also false. and.
In hat event. not worth bothering
with.
1t is the desire of the Standard"
the Inter Mountain. Ito go 10
prominent democrats and ask them to |
to an interview. and either ar
firm or deny whether they said that the
Of Montana had made a
mistake" That is IL precisely.
That Is what. in so many words the
proposed-how otherwise
would you go about IL? Yet the Inter
says that would be mani
testify unfair"
Unfair to whom? Certainly not to the
in question. Is il unfair to
ask prominent democrats in official and
congressional life whether. respecting
! public question. they made the state
nent imputed to them in the Inter
Mountain: Have no fear. good neigh !