The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-04
A Well Matched Pair.

~ HE controversy between Edward
Atkinson and Congressman Shat
tue is an edifying spectacle. Mr.
Atkinson is a statistcian who poses as
an economist. His head is full of fig
ures upon various economic questions,
| but judging from the arguments he
makes upon them. he has about as
much comprehension of their logical
significance as the average man has of
some other persons secret cipher
Atkinson is also the inventor of some
kind of a cooking apparatus, by the
use of which he is reported as claim
ing that poor men can live very COM
fortably on a dollar week, as we'll in
fact, as poor man ought to live He
is furthermore very earnest advocate
of the gold standard, which brings him
into thorough accord with the repub-
lican party upon the monetary question,
at least. We are not quite sure wheth-
err he supported Mr.. Mckinley directly,
in the last campaign. or indirectly by
voting and talking for Palmer and
Buckner. But it is certain that he con-
tributed to the election of Mr.. McKin-
ley in one way or the other.
Atkinson's knowledge of the silver
question may be fairly inferred from
his testimony before a congressional
committee some years ago, to the eff
feet that in order to produce silver it
was necessary simply to build a fire
against the side of a mountain con-
Ia le1 of he 1o1-
ten silver flow down into receptacles
placed at the bottom to catch it.
Such being the logical cast of Atkin-
sons mind, it is natural that it should
manifest itself in dealing with other
subjects. 1t does so clearly in his treat
ment of THE Philippine question. He
is opposed to Mr.. McKinley's policy of
holding the islands by force. But in
stead of confirming himself to a legiti-
mate discussion of the question in the
great forum of the people, he under
took to foment dissatisfaction and mu-
tiny among the soldiers in the field. To
that extend he was clearly wrong, for
it was a most unsafe and dangerous
method of procedure-one which might
not only have involved disaster to the
army, but, as well, the forfeiture of the
lives of unfortunate soldiers who might
have acted upon his advice, His course
in this respect is neither to be COM
mended nor defended.
Mr. Shattuc is new member of con-
gress from the First district of Ohio.
He was a commissioned officer in the
| union army during the civil war, but
his congressional biography states that
his service was on the frontier, where
there We're probably no rebels within
a thousand miles or so. There seems
to be no historical record of his achiev-
| ing distinction in the field. although he
| rejoices in the title of general. Nor has
| he as yet won fame in the halls of con-
gress
1t appears though, that Shattuc is de-
| termined to win glory in some way, so
| he has entered into a correspondence
with Mr.. Atkinson. and he is osten-
! tatiously parading the correspondence
| in the newspapers. Mr.. Atkinson had
the hardwood to send one of his pam
phlets to Shattuc, and the patriotic soul
of the Ohio congressman is all on fire
| He rushes into print with an enthusiasm
| that can only be likened to Don
| Quixotes assault upon the windmill.
We have not seen Mr.. Atkinson's pam
| phlet and know nothing of the argu-
| ments contained in it or whether it
| contains any. To those who know some
| thing of the man. it would be more or
less of a surprise to find anything in it
| that could be fairly considered argu-
| mentative.
1t is doubtful however, if it could by
| any possibility contain less than APP
| pears in Mr.. Shattuc's published re-
| plies He makes not the slightest eff
| fort to demonstrate the wisdom or JUS
tce of Mr.. McKinleys policy, but dis
poses of the whole matter by calling
Atkinson "a friend and co-worker of
Aguinaldo," a "copperhead" and a
| traitor" Both are evidently playing
to the galleries, both are boasting of
| the sympathetic letters they have re-
| ceived, and it seems to be case of
| two blatherskites well met. But both
are, or have been, supporters of Mr.,
! Mckinley: neither belongs to us, and if
they re-enact the tragedy of the Kill
| kenny cats we shall indulge in no la
mentations over it.
| Novelties in the CenSuS of 1900.