Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-28
THE VALUE OF DEFEAT.

By a conservative, honorable course of
political procedure the city of Butte
should endeavor to maintain it's political
prestige in the state. Regardless of the
political party in power the conditions
should be such as to give full weight to
the influence of this city in state affairs
To its influence in state politics this city
must often be indebted for favorable
legislation, whether the republicans or
the democrats be in power. It naturally
that a prudent course should be
followed by our people to the end that
the friendship and confidence of outlying
districts may be merited and sustained.
The republicans have set an example
in this respect by burying the Ratchet,
and republicans in all parts of the state
have a most kindly feeling toward Butte.
The democratic party, however, is sharp
~AAiiAo d" NtIiNSS Iiiu pICDdI lIN3 I Clc
gate this city to the rear when oppor-
tunity offers. This is due to the course
pursued by the hill democracy in main
tanning it's bitter fractional fight against
the Clark men, who were supported by
a democratic Legislature elected by the
party as a whole. The democratic press
all over the state is cursing the democ-
racy of Butte. and this city will find itself
utterly without influence in state affairs
when democracy is dominant in Mon
tana. The following from the Whitehall
Zephyr is but a sample of the expressions
of the democratic press:
The regular spring fight is on in Butte,
and the poor old democratic party is hav-
ing a hard time in having it's honored
and historic name hauled and pulled
through the mire of every political
souabble in the town. 1t is not at all
necessary that the destiny of the demo-
cratic party in Montana SHOULD hang
upo the manipulation of affairs in
Butte. 1t makes little difference to the
party OIL lIllS state WneLnef the lOWF OIL
Butte goes democratic or not. In the
affairs of the party too much importance
has been attached to the Butte end Of
the machine, and now is as good a time
as any for the democracy of Montana to
publicly declare that it does not give a
tinker's damn about the rows in Butte.
j SO far. as visible the fight there involves
no issue at all: 1T is merely the contest
of two factions which follow two million
aires. The mere fact that a handful Of
men meeting in Butte, attempt to pro-
claim political doctrines for their re-
spective parties, is no reason for the
I state organizations or the Individual
members Of either party throughout the
state to accept the platforms" as ortho-
dox. The republicans seem to have been
learning faster than the democrats-they
{aong since, learned to let the Butte. politi-
cal rows alone. After awhile the Mon
ftana democracy will see that It has mag
nified the Importance of Butte's biennial
.scraps as a party matter.
With such a feeling against Butte, in
(which has been revived by the hill fac
ton in the present city campaign, the de-
feat of it's ticket is imperative even
from a democratic standpoint. The in
huence of the Butte democracy in state
affairs can only be regained through a
local victory Won with a united party.
Victory won by one faction trampling on
the other will destroy absolutely the in
fuence of the democrats of this city in
state politics.
Under such circumstances there is
more to gain, from a democratic stand
point, by defeating the hill ticket and
permitting it to go abroad that party
division was the cause of the defeat, and
that party union will grow out Of 1t, than
that victory was possible without a re-
union of the factions and the fight was
to be indefinitely continued and that
democrats throughout the state must
either become a party to it or sit square
ly down on the democracy of Butte. Let
intelligent democrats weigh the future
=. before they cast their ballots.
The Inter Mountain has always given
i every encouragement within it's power to
4 those who contemplated investments in