Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-30

ident given the country by that party,
until Grover Cleveland flashed upon the
public like a pewter star. but delights to
quote from the philosophy of Abraham
Lincoln, who fought the democratic
party of his day to a standstill.
Later on Grover Cleveland nearly ru-
ined the country in carrying out the plat
form of principles upon which he was
elected to the chief magistracy of the ma
ton. and, like Jim Buchanan. he, too,
speedily became a scapegoat. From the
mistakes of Buchanan a new" delnocra-
cy arose, and from the mistakes of Cleve-
land another new democracy emerged.
Just as often as the national leaders OF
the democracy make a conscientious eff
fort to carry out it's principles, and mis-
cry overtakes the country as a result, the
party promptly sheds it's skin n is
ready to give the public something en-
tirely new and thoroughly rectified in
the shape of democracy.
What is true in national politics is
equally true in a local way. A case in
point is the dilemma in which that or
ganization finds itself through the con-
duct of the democratic governors of
Idaho and Montana. In discussing the
Occur d'Alene matter the Rocky Noun
tain Celt of Butte says:
h action of those so-called demo-
cratic governors of Idaho and Montana
is of little significance now. They, too,
violated their oath of office, if they ever
had a fair comprehension Of constitution
al law in a sovereign state. They do not
count in this affair any longer. They are
democrats only in name. They can never
appear in politics again.
In order to relieve the democratic par
ty of any responsibility for the official
conduct of it's ofice-holders, the Celt
would repudiate their democracy and be-
little the significance of their act. But
that cannot be done If a political or
ganization does not stand sponsor for
the acts of it's public ofice-holders, what
right has it to ask the voters to supper
it's nominees?
The attempt to read Governor Smith
out of the democratic party, for instance,
is absurd. Not only does he stand at the
front among the party leaders-not only
does he expound democracy e%loquently
from the stump during political cam
.paigns-not only did he travel over this
state to save from defeat the celebrated
Andrew Jackson Charlie Hartman Camp
bell, but his political enthusiasm last
fall was hailed with delight by the de-
of Montana. To him was ac-
corded the credit for having extirpated
the populists from the face of the earth,
to make smooth sailing for the demo-
cratic organization.
He fought the battles of his party, he
helped introduce to the people of this
state that sensational novelty known as
a democratic legislature, and only a few
short weeks ago he celebrated the ami
versary of Jefferson's birthday with a
red-hot democratic speech. There can be
no question as to his party fidelity, yet
IN effort is now being made to have him
petrified and placed in the niche of fame
alongside of James Buchanan and Grover
Cleveland.
To say that Governor Smith "can never
appear in politics again. is a cruel edict
to be issued against a man who has lone
SO much to bring about the supremacy
of the party to which he belongs. When
he was welded to the democracy he for
gave it's past and took it for better or
for worse. He has a right to expect the
same treatment in return. But, alas, that
party needs another scapegoat.