Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-11
SHH ER'S WORST ENEMIES.

ASt'o1 VI 1cNS. AS HIST uly
of every man who is interested in BIZ
metallism is to ascertain, first, who
forced the silver question into the back
ground; and, second. why it was done. =
Inasmuch as those who opposed silver
in 1896 have had no hesitancy in re-
affirming their continued opposition to
free coinage. and stand ready to wage
war along the same ines in 1900, they
the issue in the background. Apparently
they would welcome the paramount issue
of 1896 as the paramount issue of 1900.
1t will not be the fault of the opponents
of silver if the issue is obscured in the
presidential contest next year.
Where, then. does the responsibility
for silver's retirement asfa paramount
issue lie? Clearly, with Its professed
friends. 1t lay within their power to
have kept the free coinage movement at
the front. Instead of doing so, however,
they first abrogated the policy of CO.
operation which prevailed in 1896, and
''HA>A ""o ~ ~ LII
success of the cause, and ollowed this
exhibition of treachery with the public
declaration that some question other
than free coinage must be the paramount
issue of 1900.
Some of the leading so-called silver
newspapers gave their approval to the
single standard idea that the relative
values of silver and gold should be regu-
lated by the worlds exchanges. instead
of by a ratio established by the govern
ment, and other bourbon organs quietly
acquiesced in that stuDendous fallacy.
Then came the so-called silver leaders |
from among which it was declared a
paramount issue must be chosen. Men
who had been looked upon as pioneers
in the silver cause had no h%esitancy in
SO persistent have been the leaders |
of the so-called silver wins of the de-
mocracy in the advocacy Of questions
growing out of the war, and which in
NoiNe eHe luIludIlleHldl principles OIL pa
triotism, that the opponents of silver
have been forced to recognize in such
questions matters of paramount import
ance which must be fought out at the
polls. In this way both the republican
and democratic parties have awakened
to the fact that through the maneuver-
ing of the latter for a new ISSUE. silver
has been %relegated to the rear.
1t is not hard to determine the reason
for this course of procedure on the part ,
of the so-called silver wing of the ma
tional democracy. Unable to win a VIC
tory in 1896 on the free coinage issue,
with the assistance of the silver repub-
licans and populists, but with the gold
wing of the democratic party against it,
new tactics We're determined upon for
the forthcoming campaign. Without the
aid of silver republicans and populists,
the united democracy won a victory in |
1882. The logic of events seemed to sug-
gest the propriety of initiating the sue
cessful methods of political work in 1892,
rather h the unsuccessful ones of
1896.
Hence, there was an immediate move
ment instituted looking to a reunion of
the silver and gold factions of the party.
This movement necessitated a retreat
from the free coinage ground taken in
1896 to the conservative position of 1892.
To that end, late leaders CT the so-called
silver democracy have been a~ssiduously
working, with the result that he de-
sired reunion has been substantially eff |
fected, and such uncompromising gold
men as Croker unhestitatingly pledges
the support of Tammany to Colonel
Bryan.
In a local way, the democracy of the
silver states will seek to effect their
political purposes by claiming to be for
silver, While in the gold states it will be
pointed out with equal enthusiasm and
vigor that the democratic party has re-
ceded from it's free coinage attitude of
1896 and is prepared to- accept existing
financial conditions, craving only the OBJ
portunity to save the country from the
horrible crime of expansion. Silver re-
publicans, conscious of the fact that the
issue of free coinage has been retired in
so-far as the next campaign is concerned,
and fully alive to the treachery and de-
ceit which have enabled the so-called
silver democracy to effect that end, will
be true to their patriotic convictions
along the lines of battle which have been