Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-11
NO FENCE REQUIRED.

The Inter Mountains ably editeu
morning contemporary. the Butte Miner
,s ant to become a little too petu!ant
whenever it is not given the u~ndisputea
right of way in public affairs. Infoltu-
nately for it's own peace Of mind it can
see nothing in the transaction OF pupIc
business but one phase or another of the
factional fight which has SO effectua!ly
divided the democratic party in this
state. To its vivid and highly heated i'm
%agination that contest is involved III
every business transaction in which the
taxpayers may feel a deep concern. From
its standpoint OF observation every move
that is made by a public official in carry
ing out the work which the law imposes
upon him, from the governor Of the state
to a village dog catcher, is inspired by
sympathy for either one wing or the
other of the democratic party. So in
tense has become this feeling on the part
of our esteemed contemporaries accus-
toned has it become TO looking at every
thing through a colored glass-that those
who are wholly Indifferent to the con-
stantly varying phases of a disgusting
democratic quarrel are looked upon with
suspicion. This morning the Miner says:
When the Inter Mountain gets down
Off the top rail for a few minutes 1t gen
orally manages to land on the side of the
fence occupied by the hill democracy
The foregoing indicates the belief of
the Miner that there is no middle ground
Upon which Montanians may stand-that
everybody must permanently roost on top
of the fence that divides the two demo-
cratic factions or identify themselves
with one side or the other. All the space
on the ground floor is pre-empted by the
two wings Of the democratic party, and
If a man belongs to neither he must keep
Off the grass-he must cling te~nacious!y
to the top rail of the line fence,
The Inter Mountain is not prepared to
accept this view of things. It does not
believe that a man must necessarily get
off the earth because he does not line up
Will JIG SAu w tiIt otiit All liz dtt!Citi1
quarrel that is going on perpetually in the
ranks of the democratic party in this
state. AS a matter of fact, this paper
is of the opinion hat neither wing of the
democracy occupies half as much space
as it thinks it does. Temporary victories
have had a tendency to make some of
the nrOninppt advocates and oh NJ pjanc
of both sides see double. and they i'm
agine that their respective hosts cover
a great deal more territory han they
really do. They may con~scientiously think
that the only place for a man who is
politically Independent of either faction
Is the line fence, out Time, which is the
great healer-a great healer, in fact.
thar the ward heelers of the democracy
will correct the errors of our misguided
democratic friends Time will impart the
lesson that most of the political space
in this state is occupied by men who
place the interests of the commonwealth
above the ambitions of men who are con-
stantly snarling and swapping and
growing over the fac that somebody
else has a right to breathe and eat and
sleep Well of nights.
The esteemed Miner may be surprised
to learn that the Inter Mountain has nc
use for a fence. 1t stands with both feet
squarely on the ground, prepared to ad,
vocate a course in the transaction Of pub
lie business that seems most likely to
conserve the interests of the community
in which il Is published. To this end i,
deplored and condemned the unwise an
unjust assault upon the citizens of this
state, both in the legislature and out
that characterized the early stages of tbs
late senatorial contest-to this end it de-
plores and condemns the utterly silly and
unjustilable warfare now being waged
against the mayor of Butte. Fair play
on the part OF the Inter Mountain may
subject ii to the criticism OF getting down
of the fence on one side or the ether, as
the case MAJ be. but that is neither here
no there. A newspaper that Is not pub
l1Ghed in the personal interests of any