Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-11

$500, 900 democratic votes were cast fol-
aim, which is so plainly an untrue state
ment that it should not be made by
honest men.
The foregoing proves nothing. and as a
conclusion imputing dishonesty to Others
merely betrays the weakness of the ar
guments advanced by the Independent,
It's views are based on the votes polled
in 1892. with the percentages of increase
in the total vote of 1896, and does not
even incidentally recognize the great
change that took place in the democratic
party from 1892 to 1896. The democratic
strength in 1896 could not be properly
based on the vote cast for Cleveland in
1892. The course pursued by the presi-
dent and the resultant disasters to the
people came near destroying the demo-
cratic party, and placed it second to the
in Montana dropped to a fraction over
5000, while the populists polled 10, 1000 in
round numbers. thus practically revers-
ing their relative conditions in 1892. To
a considerable degree this falling off in
democratic strength was noted in all
parts of the country, forcing that organ
comparatively small following. The
Palmer-Buckner movement still further
reduced the formal democratic strength,
bringing the total vote of that party
down to about $500, coo, after the esti-
mated losses in the west and middle west,
as indicated by the vote of 1894, had been
deducted.
It was in evidence that the populists
gained strength rapidly from 1892 to 1894,
as was shown by the vote of that party
in the latter year, and conditions were
such as to indicate a corresponding
growth from 1894 to 1896. most of its re-
cruits coming from the democratic party.
In Montana the democratic party had
practically gone to pieces, while it's
strength in the east lay in the hands
of those who Went off in the Palmer
Buokner movement in part and who in
part voted for Mckinley on the financial
issue. The democracy, as such, on the
day Bryan was nominated, was but a
wreck of the political organization that
defeated Benjamin Harrison in 1892. In
Bryan's nomination it %alienated a large
percentage of the men who had not been
driven from its ranks by the delin-
quencies of Cleveland. With Cleveland
forcing a large percentage of the party
into the ranks of the populists, and
Bryan forcing a large percentage of the
party either into the republican party or
into the Palmer-Buckner movement, a
mere Skeleton of the old-time ~organiza-
ton was left. go.
The estimate that 1900, 900 populists
came to the rescue of Bryan is a very
modest one, when to the norma voting
strength of that party in 1894 is added
a reasonable increase in 1896, under con-
ditions that made that increase just as
natural and probable as the increase
from 1892 to 1894. Careful estimates as to
the vote received by Mckinley compared
with the Harrison vote of 1892, with due
allowance for the percentages of increase
in the popular vote in the various states,
show pretty c~onclusively the number Of
silver republicans who supported Bryan.
The number has been quite accurately
estimated in round numbers at 1000, 900.
The republican vote Of 1892 and 1896 can
be compared, as that party was not in
power and no conditions Of a public
character tended to disintegrate it, up to
the break in the national convention in
st. Louis.
-"
But while the Independent can initiate
the ostrich and bury it's head in the sand.
in order to escape the sight of danger,
the real question for the democracy to
consider is whether it can afford to lose
in 1900 the votes given Bryan by non
democrats in 1896. While that vote un-
doubtedly reached 5000, 900, suppose, for
the sake of argument, it amounted to but
half that number. Is the democracy
sufficiently strong to make up his loss
and win the battle of 1900? The indie
pendent, in common with democrats gem
orally, is inclined to ridicule the aid given