Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-05
TREASON TO THE FLAG.

With all its faults, no one suspected
until this morning that the Anaconda
Standard had rebelled against the gov
ernment of the United States. Everybody
recognizes the ability of that ably edited
journal to do business at the old stand,
and go on with the work of regulating the
sun, moon and stars, no matter what hap
pened. Consequently, in Withdrawing it's
allegiance from the American republic
it will excite little surprise.
For some time the so-called anti-imper-
ialists have been going beyond the legi-
innate field Of debate. and many Of them
have sought to emulate the conduct of
the ancient copperhead Of the civil war
and give aid and comfort to the enemy.
1t is a we'll known fact that Agoncillo.
then located in Washington to watch the
fight that was being made to de-
feat the treaty entered into with
Spain through the Paris commits
sion, wired Aguinaldo that the oppo-
sition to that measure justified him in at
lacking the American forces at Manila.
The Filipino ambassador understood the
temper of the "anti-imperialists'' better
than the American people did. In the
pariance of the street. "he was onto his
job"
Since the war in the Philippines was
gotten under Roadway. the anti-imper-
fa1iCtc u va 5ona a1,acr+l;or ,,;.l,;, 4lo.,
power to discourage and dishearten the
American people, to becloud the motives
of the administration, to checkmate the
progress of the war. Recently these bold
political buccaneers have gone to the ex-
treme Of trying to aood the Philippines
with reasonable and seditious literature,
calculated to incite distrust mutiny
among the troops, and lead them to aban-
don the field to the insurgents.
h sort Of literature, circulated under
the supervision of Edward Atkinson,
president of the Anti-Imperialistic Lea
que, was suppressed by the government
on the ground hat it's aims were treason
able. Though circulated in this country
it was not allowed to pass through the
mails for distribution in the Philippines.
The same course was pursued in refer
ence to the bulls issued from public meet
fngs, held under the auspices Of the ''anti-
Imperialists,' demanding the return of tn
volunteers at once, regardless of the fate
of American interests in our new posses
sion.
Such a meeting was recently held in
Lincoln, Nebraska, presumably at the
suggestion of Mr.. Bryan, who seems to
be doing all that lies within the purview
of his influence to discredit the efforts of
the administratio to suppress the insur-
rection in the Philippines. The hope OF
the democracy appears to be centered in
the failure of the republican administra-
ton TO conquer the Filipinos, and to that
end an effort is being made to Undue the
volunteers to desert the flag on the
threshold Of victory. The counter effort
on the part of the government is it's re-
fusal to convey these reasonable ami Sc
ditious messages to Manila.
To this the Anaconda Standard raises
its objections. 1t ~demands-and when IT
makes g demand the United States might
as well look out-that the volunteers be
permitted to come home at once. In Civ
ing its unqualified approval to the scheme
of the so-ealled anti-;mperialists to
wrest the Philippines from the govern
ment and turn them over to the insur-
gents, the Standard eXclaims in the words
of Patrick Henry: IF this be treason,
make the most of it!' Instead Of desc
Grating the memory of a revolutionary
hero, by quoting him in such a cause, the
Standard should nave sought is perora-
ton in the biographical sketches of the
gentlemen who made their regulations
south of Mason and Dixon line during the
The Miner refers to the fight between
IL and the Standard as "unfriendlineSS -