Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-05
AN OUTFIT.

The old saying that a foolish man bites
| off his nose to spite his face has an exc
cellent illustration in the position into
which the silver wing of the dem6cratic
party has forced itself. In 1898 it repu-
dated the policy of combining the silver
forces that had met its approval in 1896.
1t placed the seal of condemnation upon
the cooperation of the silver men in var
ious political organizations, and thereby
made such a movement impossible In,
1900. No less than 5000, 900 silver men
who were not democrats voted for Mr..
Bryan. They did so because they believ-
ed that silver was the paramount issue
and were willing to sacrifice everything
else for it's success. 81 d
Since that time the democracy has de-
morstrated the fact that it's assumed 10y
atty to silver was merely false pretence.
1t repudiated the policy of fusion last fall
when it knew that such a course would
prevent the silver forces from co-operat-
ing in 1900, and thus lose the day to the
democracy. 1t preferred the spoils Of
office in various states to the maintenance
Of a policy in support Of a great principle.
1t sowed to the wind, it will reap the
whirlwind.
Having won several state victories on
the prestige acquired by the aid of sill
YER republicans and populists in 1896, the
democrats have failed to make a record
for craftsmanship to which they can point
with pride. 1t is unnecessary, in this con-
n~ection, to cite the late democratic legis-
lature of Montana as an example Of
democratic rule. It's memory is still fresh
and green. In Utah and elsewhere it is
pretty much the same. The Salt Lake
Tribune says:
We defy any honest man to point to
What democracy has done for Utah since
they won their great triumph in 1896, to
give ordinary people encouragement to
believe that if they had full power in the
nation they would even desire to do the
right thing by the people. It is a party
seeking chiefly petty spolls, n it would
take a very brave man to recommend men
"AAO AoNC Oil lax AANCo OCCA
to support their ticket. We know Of the
feeling Of silver men in Colorado, in Utah,
in Idaho, in Nevada, and in Montana.
Silver men who all their lives were repub-
hcans until 1896, gave up for the time be-
ing the principles of a lifetime to support
what seemed to them a most vital ques-
ton. But they do not feel as they did in
1896, for the reason that in each one Of
these states named the democracy has de-
n1onstrated, hat so far as they are con-
! cerned they are hardly capable of self
/ government, to say nothing about gov
erning the nation . /. ~
Having destroyed all hopes for a silver
victory in 1900, through it's greed for petty
spells, and having followed that up with
Incompatible plumbers in the realms
of statecraft, the democracy adds ingrati-
tude to it's other mistakes and viciously
attacks its would-be friends. Probably
no man is more willing to forgive, the
democracy it's past mistakes than Sena-
tor Teller, who still insists that a fusion
Of the silver forces should take place in
1900. But this insistence is another case
of pork and pearls. This islkvhat the
democratic Chicago Chronicle says:
TOO Much Teller. There is nothing in
Senator Teller's sympathies. nothing in
his history, nothing in his legislative ca
reer, nothing in his party associations,
which authorizes him to counsel, and. IN
some respects, to direct the democratic
party. = i y Senator Teller, breaking
with his own party, not generally. but on
one specific point, claimed and to a
great degree was accorded by mistaken
democrats a certain leadership of theiI
party, with the result that instead OF
bringing it reinforcements he landed it in
a morass and left it in utter rout and de-
feat.
A HELENA SENSATION.