Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-04
WHAT rs 4 ~cOPPERHEADs

Inasmuch as the democratic press mod
estly object to the title of copperhead,
and deny that they have won that dis
~tinction through sympathy with Aguinal-
do and his cause, it is we'll, perhaps, to
quote from that eminent authority on the
English language, Webster's dictionary,
as to the true significance Of the term
when applied to individuals. It says:
a name given to those in the northern
states who were charged with sympathy
with the southern states during the civil
war.
1t requires merely a substitution Of the
word .Filipinos'' for southern states 70
make the term ''copperhead" apply with
lust as much force to those who are SYM
pathizing with Aguinaldo and his cause
as it did to those who experienced the
same feeling for Jefferson Davis and the
principles for which he fought in the dark
DAYS of the civil war. Essentially, a cop
nerhead is a man who is in sympathy
with the enemies of his country.
True. it is a term of opprobrium, and
was SO intended when it found its way
into the vernacular of the days when II
was originally applied. 1t was used 10
designate those who talked for and SYM
pathized with the cause Of the confeder-
acy. while enjoying the protection at
forded by the federal government. But
while it may be truely said that every
comprehend during the civil war was q
democrat, it is not true that every demo-
crat was a copperhead.
There were thousands of men, known
in those days as war democrats who
believed in the fundamental principles Of
their party, but who were intensely loyal
to what they believed to be the best gov
eminent on earth. To protect the flag
from it's enemies was of first concern to
such men. In their opinion questions OF
policy that might grow out of the war
should be deferred until the rebellion
was suppressed. Many of those war
democrats'' entered the service and did
yalient work for the union cause, and
from among their numbers arose some OF
the brightest stars that subsequently
adorned the galaxy of American states
1nanship.
1t is only fair to say, that the wal
democrat is likewise in evidence in the
present controversy in the Philippines.
There are many democrats who believe
the first obligation Of the loyal American
citizen is to do whatever may lay within
his lines of duty to suppress the uprising
of the natives hat was fomented by
Aguinaldo, leaving to the future the out
lining of a policy for the handling of the
islands that have been acquired. Al
honor to such men. They are loyal, pat
riotic and brave.
But what can be said of those who have
advocated the justice of Aguinaldo':
cause and the injustice of the contention
waged by the American soldiery-thos'
who nave pictured the course pursued b!
the government in protecting It's nag a
a crime, while the insurgent leader ha
been held up as a martyr to the cause o
human liberty? Such men are doing pre-
cisely what their prototypes did in tina
dark period that stretched it's mantle 0
gloom from Sumpter to AppomatoS
They are stabbing at the vitals of tn
government by giving sympathy an
encouragement to it's enemies Happily
environment may make their efforts les
potential for evil than in the crises of tn
long ago. but they are nevertheless en-
titled to the only distinction that ca
properly define the character of thei
vork-the name of copperhead.