Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-17
FOLLOWING THE S7ANDARD'SLEADERSHip

Those democrats who are disposed to
c~riticise the Anaconda Standard, as the
leading democrat newspaper Of Montana,
! for having committed the party in this
! state to free coinage without an estab-
lished ratio. and having promulgated the
; political edict that the ratio Of values be-
tween silver and gold must be settled by
! the worlds exchanges, should not be too
/ hasty. The Standard knew what it was
/ doing when it set that pace before the
smaller fry of it's party.
The leading democrats all over the
country are rapidly coming its way If
the democratic party inlerits pie in 1900,
instead of taking its customary bath in
the tureen. the Standard will ~officiate at
the table and regulate the ratio of it's dis
tribution in Montana. For, as we have
already intimated. the Standard set the
pace. In addition to Bryan, who has de-
clared himself in favor of a paramount
issue other than silver-either anti-im-
perialism of Observation-Disclosures
democrats everywhere are getting into
the Standards band wagon. EX-Eepre-
sentative A. J. Warner of Ohio, president
of the National Bimetallic League. says:
The money plank has lost none Of it's
Importance, but in the meantime OTHER
QUESTIONS OF GREATER IMPORT
ANCE HAVE ARISEN. l would be in
favor of making a declaration against
S.,,-+ So ~ %I-% ,1- %l~ ~,l1 ~r, n,pI
the same against imperialism and the
Philippine war.
Mr.. Warmers willingness to place sill
yer in the background, as an issue of
secondary Importance, is more than sec
onded by Judge William D. Tuley, a
prominent democratic lead in Illinois.
In an open letter to the Jefferson demo-
cratic league Of Chicago he says:
The democrats who insist on maintain
ing this dead issue must not overlook the
fact that the populists and silver repub-
licans ave returned almost en- masse
to the republican party. The free silver
coinage issue at the ratio Of 16 to 1, is nc
longer a live issue. The largely increased
annual production of gold, the abundance
of money shown by the steady lowering
of the rate of interest and the renewed
prosperity that has swept over the lane
has killed it as an issue. Why not drop il
, altogether out of the next platform? L
that is done success is certain. If w,
I must ave a silver plank let it be the FIRE,
/. coinage of silver without any referenc,
to a fixed ratio.
1t Will be seen that Judge Tuley work
up a little closer to the Standards ide;
of things than even Mr.. Warner. He doe
j., not want the ratio designated, provided
it becomes necessary to mention silve
. at all in the platform. Then comes tina
able and devoted democratic organ. tn
ing sarcasm that would peel the bark OF
LA water spaniel. 1t names five of tn
strongest democratic states in the sout
which it thinks Bryan might carry, be
yond a reasonable doubt. on the silve
n issue. It says:
No matter what declaration the demo
cratic party of next year makes concern
. ing the currency, no matter if it ignore i
! toto the whole question of coinage, If
renominate William Jennings Bryan, VIII
in the public mind is the very i~ncarna
llD1l u III Cldlll u ~ " /, lHdl OIltc
1 ton, whatever the declarations of tn
n platform, will be uppermost in the opinio
of the public. If Bryan be cnOminate
: there will be very little discussion of tn
PLATFORM, Bryan himself will be tn
:. party's declaration Of principle, and wit
! Bryan renominated there can be no rea
e sonable doubt that he will carry in tn
> electoral college the votes of Texas, Al
kansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Virginia
+ Georgia and at least one of the Carolina:
Mr.. Bryan's strength as a presidentia
factor in 1900 ought not to be underesti
mated.
Though the Chronicle includes Georgi
among the states that Bryan, working
double shift as both candidate and plat
form, might carry On the silver issue, tn
: leading papers of that state, in discussin
;, the matter seriously. think differentl,
d The Atlanta Constitution says:
Mr.. Bryan is unquestionably the idc
of the democratic voters, but not a fe'
are frank to declare that HE MUST PU'
e THE SILVER QUESTION IN TIL.
n BACKGROUND, AND MAKE TIL
FIGHT AGAINST TRUSTS AM
d MONOPOIIES.
The admonition that Bryan must pit
Il the silver question in the background, a
a condition of success. coming from tn
e leading democratic paper of a siive
democratic state, is emphasized by tn
Savannah News. another great leadin
newspaper in the roster of democrat
journals. 1t says:
The great majority OF the democrat
n of Georgia HAVE DOUBTS OF TIL.
IPARTY'S ABILITY TO WIN IN TIL