The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-14

of Klondike and South Africa. caused
the crop failures of Europe, Argentine
and India, precipitated the Spanish
war, created the new and extensive
demands for copper both at home and
| abroad, and in fact did everything that
figures favorably in the business situa-
ton. He tells us that Commercial
prosperity is based upon confidence,
and that the only thing that can de-
stroy the confidence now prevailing is
change of administration
This suggests a query as to why the
self-styled silver republican papers in
the country are so perturbed over the
assumed certainty that the democracy
will abandon silver or, what is the
same in the philosophy of these "a
pers, fail to make it the paramount
issue" in 1900. The rather close rela-
tons existing between papers of the
class mentioned and Mr.. Hanna is we'll
known, and it is not easy to see why
they should be so fearful of the democ-
racy's abandoning the policy which he
declares is calculated to destroy con-
tidence and prosperity together,
1t is, moreover, little singular that
these papers and Mr.. Hanna should be
so wide apart In their judgment as to
the attitude of the democracy upon
this question. The former are abso-
lutely sure that the democratic party
has completely abandoned it's silver
plank, while Mr.. Hanna Is Just as GER
tain that free silver is democracy's
only weapon These great champions
of the peoples cause ought to get their
heads together and agree a little bet
ter. Such a contrariety of views is quite
likely to injure the cause which they,
with ceaseless zeal, are endeavoring to
advance. Either Mr.. Hanna should
occasionally cast his eye over the
columns of these papers or the papers
should keep more closely on the trail
of the utterances of their great
leader.
Mr.. Hanna thinks that the troubles
in the Philippines are of "our own
making in delaying the annexation
BILL How he reaches this conclusion
we don't know, but we do know that
unWittingly he has laid the blame at
the door of his own administration.
The democrats have had nothing to do
with delaying any annexation bill, and
it is doubtful if many of them have
ever heard of a specific measure of the
kind. If Messrs. Hanna and McKin-
ley have such a bill in contemplation,
the president could have called an ex-
ira session of congress long ago and
had it considered As matter of
fact Mr. McKinley's entire course with
reference to the islands has been upon
the theory that they were already an
neXed. In his first proclamation he
declared that they were ours by right
of conquest from Spain and the treaty
of Paris. If this be true, our title rests
upon the treaty and no act of congress
could strengthen it. Certain it is that
the passage of a bill of annexation
would not have kept the Filipinos from
fighting, for annexation is the very
thing they are fighting against.
Possibly Mr.. Hanna thinks that if |
the presidents vague and indefinite
ideas could have been put into form
of law the Filipinos might have been
induced to regard it as a measure of
friendly assimilation, But however
that may be there was only one way
to get such a law. That was for the
president to call congress together and
present his scheme. He didn't do At, |
and Mr.. Hanna says that this is the
cause of the trouble. The republican
boss should call himself off and hire
some one else to do his talking for
him.