Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-22

ratio that will hold silver bullion down
to it's present price for all time to come,
they should lose no time in showing the
weakness of their own arguments in the
last presidential campaign.
In conceding that silver has been
crowded out of its former position as
the paramount issue. the local organs of
the democracy would have it appear that
political parties are not responsible for
the prominence which any question may
| attain.
In other words, why should the de-
mocracy be blamed for the fact that
questions other than financial ones are
uppermost in the public mind?
Why should democrats be held respon-
! sible, even if silver has been crowded into
the background by the resistless current
of affairs?
1t is sometimes true that issues create
themselves, regardless of the efforts of
organized political parties, and it is
equally true that the eXigencies of such
organizations often lead to the creation
of artificial issues that would not other
wise arise for the consideration of the
public.
A panic. for instance, like the one
growing out of the democratic adminis-
tration of Grover Cleveland, might lead
up to a national issue which political
parties could not eyade; but the issue of
"anti-imperialism,' with which Mr..
Bryan has displaced the heretofore para
mount issue of free coinage, is the crea-
ture of deliberate design.
1t was the outgrowth Of no public Ge-
mand-the child of no pressing danger.
1t was conceived for the purpose of APP
pealing to the prejudices of the ignorant
and the passions of the people, and to
provide o1nlno ground for the gold and
silver wings of the democracy to stand
on without political friction.
, Mr.. Bryan projected the issue, and it
was taken UP as a makeshift in order to
unhorse free coinage and remove the
one obstacle to a complete reunion OF the
democratic forces.
By dint of extraordinary exertions on
the part of that gentleman, ably assisted
by his party press, anti-imperialis1n has
litical campaign.
1t is a purely artificial one. based upon
fears that do not exist and dependent
upon falsehood and Misrepresentation
for all the momentum it has attained.
Having used this issue successfully in
the work of retiring silver to the back
ground, the democratic newspapers in
this state would have their readers be-
lieve that circumstances over which
their party had no control was espon-
sible for the creation of a new para
mount issue.
This assumption is followed up by the
ridiculous proposition that there is prac-
ticaly nc distinction between one issue
and another that is championed by a
political ~party-the question of para
mountcy cutting no figure in a cam
paign.
The Inter Mountain has repeatedly
shown that the distinction between a
Importance, is a broad one. "
Will any one assume that the tariff
question, or any of the old-time issues
represented in the democratic PLATFORM,
exercised any considerable influence in
the campaign of 1896?
Did not the ~fnancial issue o~vershadow
all others?
Were not the energies of the democ-
racy directed to the conservation of that
issue, to the practical neglect of other
questions incidentally referred to in the
national platform of that party?
Had it been successful would it not
have been incumbent upon that party to
alton of minor questions in order to carry
OUT it's pledges as to the great issue upon
which the fortunes of the campaign
turned?
The paramount issue of any campaign
becomes the test of party fealty and the
proposition upon which the energies of
the party are focused.
1t is folly to assume that the silver
question, robbed of its vital features,
and retired to & position of minor inn