Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-19
THE RATIO LEFT OUT.

Following the adoption of the republic
can currency bill by the house OF repre-
sentatiyes Yesterday, a proclamation was
issued by Chairman Towne, and others
purporting to be a silver republican ad-
dress. 1t covered in large part the IL
nancial contention of that organization
in 1895 calling attention to the new meas
IRE as a confirmation of the prophecies
Their made as to the course that would be
pursued by the republican party. The
document closes with the statement that
s.the undersigned took the steps leading
to the organization of the silver republi-
can party in 1895, and makes a fearful
appeal to the public to again accept their
leadership.
There is nothing new or of special note
in the address to attract the attention OF
the reader, as in it's entirety it is merely
a r@eiteration Of the political arguments of
the last presidential campaign, no new
points being brought out, further than the
allegation that the predictions then made
have been verified by the action of the
house yesterday in passing the bill re-
ferred to. The chief interest in the adj
dress centers in the fact that no reference
whatever is made to the ratio of Is to L
an omission tina would nave been looked
upon as heresy in 1896.
1t is clearly an indication that the sign
ers of the document are trying to shape
the policy Of the organization which they
assume to represent SO as to meet the
modified attitude of the democracy on the
silver question. Mr.. Towne, provisional
chairman of the silver republican party,
who accepted a democratic salary to
shape the course of the organization to
suit the political end of one wing of the
Montana democracy; and Mr.. Hartman,
Tho is likewise a full-fledged bourbon,
thinly disguised for a political purpose,
are the prime movers in the issuance of
proclamations, addresses, bulls, and
other miscellaneous documents purport-
ing to be the expressions of the party
which they do not represent.
1t Is quite natural that these men,
as we'll as some others who We're more
'r less prominent in the organization OF
the silver republican party, should try
TO carry the membership with them int
the ranks of the democracy. Were they
to stand out boldly and unequivocally fol
free coinage at a ratio Of Is to i, in season
and out of season., they would have con.
liyeries to a, democracy that had placed
that fundamental feature of bilnetallisn
under its feet. To avoid distressing ac-
cidents in transferring silver republicans
to the democratic party, as per the agree
lnent entered into by some Of these al.
legged leaders, it is necessary for them to
drop all references to the scientific ratio
and confine themselves exclusively tt
attacks upon the republican party. They
are perfectly safe in assuming that how.
ever much the democracy may r%epudiatt
the fundamental features of bimetallism
and emasculate the issue, it will be fer
ninst any financial measure which the
republican party could devise.
BY easy stages, the men who assume Il
represent silver republican sentiment are
following up the democratic system o.
dropping the ratio from their bimetallit
arguments, in order tina the two partie.
may keep within speaking distance or
each other, and thus facilitate the pro
cess of amalgamation. Very few silver
republicans, however, can be successful,
Wheedled into the democratic party by so
called leaders, who are figuring for per
sonal political recognition from the dem,
ocracy instead of the welfare of the sill.
ven cause.
With silver as a paramount issue in ma.
tional politics. as in 1896, the silver repub.
licans would undoubtedly favor free coin.
age at a ratio of Is to l, by the independ.
ent action Of this nation. but with that
issue retired. to make room for "anti.
imperialism and other yagaries of tina
type the first duty of every silver re-
publican Is to stand Loyalty by the other
blanks which formed q part of his plat