Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-30
BRYAN'S LATEST.

on the free coinage question, the Inter
Mountain has correctly mirrored the cur
rent of events that seemed to portend a
party compromise that would place the
ratio of 16 to 1 in the background in the
Forthcoming campaign. Months ago Mr..
Bryan, as the acknowledged leader Of
the silver wing of that party, made a
strenuous effort to evolve from the un-
a~voidable war in the Philippines, into
which our nation had been drawn, the
Issue of anti-imperialism. He had no
hesitancy in publicly declaring that this
creature of a temporarily over-heated
imagination should be the paramount
issue in 1900. For a while he did mis-
sionary work in it's behalf all over the
country. 1t was during that historical
epoch in the present cycle of politics
known as the dollar-dinner era. A lit
tia later, however, this effort to displace
the paramount issue Of 1896 with a new
and flinasy creation wholly inconsistent
with the trend of the times, the intelli-
gence of the people and the honor of the
country, was merged into a spasmodic
hurrah against the trusts.
There seemed to be a disposition to
Seize upon any question in sight and
make it the paramount issue OF the cam
paign, in Lieu of the free coinage slogan
of 1896. The purpose of this was clear.
Fhe objective point was to reunite the
gold and silver factions of the party on
would do it's work. To bring the two
wings Of the party together at the point
of the least resistance was in the minds
of the prominent men in charge of the
affairs of that political organization.
The scheme has been working splen-
,didly. from a democratic standpoint.
MIR. Bryan's apparent willingness to
place the free coinage issue in the back
ground has brought to his support the
most pronounced anti-silver democrats
IN the country, and men who have sworn
by all that is holy tina they would under
no circumstances tolerate the free COIN
age ratio ave of late expressed them
selves in favor of the denomination of
lN1r. Bryan. These pictures in the politi-
cal kaleidoscope of the day nave been
discussed in these columns and a conclu-
sion reached as to their import and pur-
pose.
Now comes another picture, highly COL
ored to say the least, which offers a field
of speculation peculiarly it's own. Mr..
Bryan has at last confessed, after all
these long months of doubt-after num-
berless speeches crowding other issues to
the front in advance of silver-that he is
still in favor Of free coinage at the ratio
of 16 to l, by the independent action of
the United States. His maneuver in
switching back to the old-time track, at
this stage in the game, after having won
the support of eastern gold standard
democrats to his presidential candidacy.
through Indifference to the silver cause,
is the political sensation of the hour
Referring to it, the Indianapolis Sun
says:
Bryan has changed tack again. In
three speeches in Iowa the other day he
declared that it is not necessary to keep
16 to l in the extreme foreground. In an
interview Monday he goes back on this
and aligns himself again according to
the defeated notions of the Chicago plat
form.
Before this interview peace reigned in
the ranks of the national democracy. and
the gold and silver factions were ma rch-
ing down the declivity of time hand in
hand. singing the old songs together, and
enjoying the thrill of harmony once more.
Now, it looks as If another seance of
ihair-pulling has been docketed for the
immediate future. The gold democrats
are resuming their fighting clothes. Hon.
John r. Wilson, national committeeman
for Indiana for the national democratic
party, says:
I have lately made a careful inyestipa-
tion of the condition of opinion among the
sound money democrats in Indiana. and
as a result 1 can say that they have in
creased instead of decreased, in number
They are firmer now than in 1896 in the
conviction of h correctness of their
position. They furthermore feel that un-
der existing conditions to reafirm the
Chicago platform would be suicidal, Mr..
,Bryan will find in ndian tina he has
run up against a stone wall if he runs in
$500 on the platform Of 1896.