Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-14
BRING ON the ISSUE.

The Helena Independent quotes APP
provingly from the Chicago Chronicle a
statement to the effect that the demo-
Gratis can use the Occur d'Alene troubles
to good advantage in 1900. as they did
the Homestead troubles in 1892. Without
commenting on the colossal gall of the
democratic press in ever limiting at such
a raw proposition as trying to make
political capital for that party out of the
IDAHO affair, the Inter Mountain cor
daily invites a discussion of the ques-
ton on it's merits. % u
Too much light cannot be thrown upon
matters of this kind, especially if they
are to cut any figure in the POLITICAL at
fairs of the country. Let them beethor-i
ougly discussed in advance of a cam,
paign. and then leave the rest 10 an
intelligent public. 1t was reserved for
the Helena Independent to take the ini-
tiative in making the Occur d'Alene trou-,
! bles a political issue, by making room in
it's columns for an article to thatneffect'
from the Chicago Chronicle. Presuma-.
bly,, our east side contemporary will have
no hesitancy in taking these matters up
for intelligent consideration at this time,
rather than wait until the campaign is
sorbed with such weighty questions as
trying to discover what the paramount
issue of it's party really is.
1t will be remembered that in 1892 the
republican party was unjustly com
PEELED to bear the odium of the Home
stead affair, inasmuch as Andrew Car
negie, the owner of the works was at
hat time a republican. 1t was argued
by the democratic party that such a
condition Of affairs as existed at Home
stead would nave been impossible except
under "a protective tariff, hence the ne
cessity of breaking down the protective
tariff and introducing free trade
Cleveland's election followed. largely
because the public was wrought up to a
pitch of excitement over the conduct of
Carnegie that obscured the real merits
of the tariff controversy. Everybody
knows what followed-the application Of
free trade principles, with industrial
damnation. business paralysis and star
walton, and 7-cent wool in Montana. u
1t may be true that the Homestead in-
cident was turned to account by the de-
mocracy in 1892, by playing upon the pas
sions of the people, but the wage EARN
ers of this country learned to their sora
row, under four years of Clevelandism
that there was a broad and we'll defined
distinction between the application q
correct Industrial principles and the per-
sonal ~stinginess of the Homestead boss
1t is meet and proper that the democratic
pre~ss-especially the democratic press OF
Montana-should gloat over the advan-
tage which their party secured from the
Homestead incident in the election Of
Montana's champion and friend, the sage
of Buzzard's Bay! They should recall
the incident with unalloyed delight, since
Mr.. Bryan sought out this self-same An,
drew Carnegie, the "hero" of the Home
stead affair, and co-operated with him ir
springing pom the American people tina
great philanthropic issue known to thu
archives of political history as antrim
perialism!" Yes, there are many reasons
why the democracy should gleefully ad
vert to the Homestead incident and thu
man who made that incident a possibili
ty-the man who is now an honored apos
tie of Mr.. Bryan himself.
In view Of these facts, and the threa
! thrown out by the democratic press tina
the Occur d'Alene troubles are to b
turned to political account by the de
| mocracy in 1900, il is we'll for the publ
to in%telligently study the facts and b
prepared to meet the proposition when i
! arises in a political way. Probably, tn
| most interesting feature Of the situation
: will be the effort of the democratic pres
to prove that Governor S~teunenberg o
Idaho, who called for martial law an,
outlined the programme that should b
followed under it., and Governor, Smitl
4 of Montana, who permitted the illegal ar
: rest Of innocent men in this state by tn
! federal troops in times of peace, wer
4 dyed-in-the-wool republicans! -5