Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-02

for bimetallism in its national convention,
ulists We're misled into giving the demo-
cratic party another chance to disgrace
the state. With campaign money to
throw at the birds. with all the appurte-
nances of @ vigorous campaign, except
honesty of purpose, the democrats We're
able to push across the state last fall like
an aI~-conquering tide. Money. coercion
and bulldozing were effective where per-
~suasion was powerless, and victory was
in the nature of things. Hence, the sill
yer republican representation in the leg
~islature is small.
Put had the then dominant, but now
badly whipped and demoralized wing of
the democracy, been true to it's principles
and it's pledges-and had it been equal to
the difficult task of keeping its word and
| DGllS true 10 us IIlciluS-di1u uSGo \
influence to effect a fusion of the silver
parties in the state, in line with the policy
OF the national silver leaders, which it
had previously advocated and MAIN
tanned, it would have been in a position
to name the successor to Mr.. Mantle in
| tina ~ n TO Of tha T-p;to1 Stotoc 1y,;r Sc
evident to any man who does not set
| his New York and Montana politics into
a hopeless tangle in his mind. In fact,
the only argument 60 advanced by the
Standard against the ability of the fusion
forces to have controlled the senatorship
is the assumption that had there been
more silver republicans in the joint as
sembly Mr.. Clark would have secured
their votes at a cheaper figure than he
was compelled to pay for democratic
votes. Such so-called reasoning is, Of
course. the ~silliest type of demagoguery,
and could be seriously advanced only in
the behalf that all men are ~purchasable
and that all men who so to the legislature
ard We're shared by the American people
generally civil government would go to
pieces.
-
This Standard overlooks the fact that
had the fusion plans matured the Clark
wing of the democracy would have been
discredited and defeated at the outset,
inasmuch as their campaign was based
on the policy of Independent democratic
action. 1t would have placed that wing
in direct ~antagonism to the national sill
Yer leaders of the party, and made it
the anti-democratic faction of the democ-
racy. 1t would have given to the Stand
portance in the councils of it's party, and
placed it in control of the senatorial situ-
alton.
But when they surrendered their fight
for fusion and went into the campaign
on the lines laid down by the Clark men,
they acknowledged that they were the
true opponents of democracy-that the
Clark men were right in outlining a
course for the democracy to pursue, and
they were wrong. They not only accord
ed to the Clark men the prestige of lead
ership, but that in the face of the con,
trary policy advocated by the nationa
silver leaders of their party, including
their late national standard-bearer ant
national chairman. Could the Anaconda
Standard people have given Mr.. Clark {
stronge Endorsement at the outset O.
the campaign? Could they have pait
a higher compliment to the political goot
Judgment and a~stuteness of Mr.. Clarl
than to throw away their own ideas a!
7 to a fusion of the silver forces in orde.
to accept those of the man who wa
destined to become the senator-elect?
!, 1t necessarily followed that the pres
tige Of the victory won through independ
ent action belonged to the men who faith
Y cred that policy, not to those who weakl
t surrendered and fell into line with il
Quite naturally, then, the leadership Q
Mr.. Clark was established, and when hi