Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-07
it fails to declare for free coinage. they
are not entitled to the confidence of silver
NO SENATORIAL CAUCUS.

The senatorial situation in Helena
clearly indicates that one side is afraid
and the other "dasscnt.' Neither had
the courage to test conclusions in a sena-
torial caucus. Rumor had it that a eau
Gus would be called for last night, but
instead of that step being taken the legis-
lature adjourned until Monday at 2 p. n.
This move, to which both sides assented,
would seem to eliminate from the situa-
ton the customary caucus, for the diff
ferent factions will hardly feel justified
in risking so important a meeting Mon
day night.
When the voting begins Tuesday in
Joint session, it will be a free field and
nobody's fight. provided the relative
strength of the various candidates have
been correctly estimated. When the
| Clark men and their sworn enemies both
forego the p%rerogatives of a senatorial
caucus it is prima facie evidence that
some dark horse is switching it's tail
powerfully in the breeze. Another strong
inducement to omit the customary eau
c~lusions would not be respected. Under
no conditions would the members behind
Mr.. Mats support Mr.. Clark. and the
supporters of the latter could not be in
| duced to swing to the Anaconda states
man. Caucus obligations would be pow
erless to bring this about.
Mr.. Mats led a bolt from the demo-
cratic legislative caucus six years 6
in order to defeat Mr.. Clark at that time,
and made the speech on the last day of
that memorable session which led to an
adjournment sine die without an election
of senator. Under the circumstances,
therefore, the feelings of mutual regard
are, somewhat strained and a religious
revival would have to get it's work in on
each before they could de the Damon
and Pythias act without a great deal of
private rehearsing.
AS the two wings of the party are in
battle array" it is perhaps the better
part of political discretion to dump their
noyi1S opI Go1;o+l, ;u4z A.. -
and let them exercise their gaffs to the
limit.
To the casual observer it would appear !
that the Mats men have made three i'm
portant errors of management early in
the game. For months they have claimed
that their sole object was to defeat Clark,
the inference being that any other demo-
crat of good standing in the party would
be satisfactory to them. In %springing
Mats for senator they destroyed this
illusion, and showed that the chief end
they had in view was not alone to defeat
Clark but to name the man for that ex-
allied position. Had they not pushed
Mats to the front, but maintained the
their political movements, they could
have swung their strength to Conrad or
Toole after discovering their inability to
control the situation, and then claimed
the prestige of victory over the Clark
men. This would have placed them in
the forefront of party control in succeed
ing campaigns.
But no advantage was taken of the
situation, and if they now have to swing
to some dark horse after dropping Mats,
in order to beat lark, they will be placed
in the position of downing their tradi-
tional enemy only after their w candi-
date was first sacrificed on the altar of a
political necessity.
-
The second error of judgment on the
part of the Mats men was raising the
cry Of Doodle against the legislative as
sembly, and thus handicapping it's mem
bers during the entire session. If a man
will sell his vote in a senatorial election
he can be readily approached on matters
involving important legislation, hence