Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-14

prominent democrats and has fashioned
his political movements to correspond.
He is in full accord with the doctrines Of
the democracy. and the aims and pur-
to the extent Of placing silver in the
background in the mex campaign.
He poses as a silver republican. because
the men who are engineering his plans
for him deem it best, for the present, for
him to assume to represent a constltu-
ency. Were he to stand out now in ms
true colors as a free trade. a~nti-expan-
sion democrat, it would be more difficult
for him to theatrically merge into the
democracy next year, after Bryans NOM
%ination. Without such a flourish OF
trumpets his services to the democracy
will be of small value.
Had Mr.. Towne been true to The silver
republican party, which made the mis-
take of choosing him as it's provisional
chairman. he would not have admitted
the propriety of r~elegating silver to the
background, to make room for other is
sues that 'are pressing for settlement
If the cause of free coinage is what it
purported to be in 1896. it is pressing for
settlement above and beyond all other
questions. When any man takes the
position that such questions as to wheth-
er the Philippines shall have a colonial
whether our standing army shall be a
few thousand men more or a few thou
sand men less. or whether trusts shall be
controlled through statutory e~nactments
or through a constitutional amendment.
are of greater Importance TO the welfare
of this nation than a speedy settlement Of
its financial policy IN a basis of fair
ness and equity to the masses Of the
American people, that man must be at
white metal than it's open and avowed
enemies in the political field.
The position AXE by Mr.. Towne is
that taken by Mr.. Bryan, and other lead
ers of the democratic party. They are
perfectly willing that the pressing" i'm
portance of every issue other than free
coinage shall press that question into the
background. 1t may be true that silver
has lost none Of its friends, as Mr..
v~,,-,.. ,o,,- I,t - -: - 49, -1, -: 1,-;l~,ao
that those of it's friends who are in a
political position to render it substan-
it back into the rear for secondary con
sideration, without a pan Of regret.
1t might have been said in 1896 that
among democrats the doctrine of free
trade lost none of it's friends, but that
issue was kept in the background with
the result that no new converts We're
made to its teachings. With silver in
the background, as a subordinate issue, ii
will not only gain no new strength in
the campaign of 1900 but it will shrivel
up and die of hamilton, and lack enough
momentum to come to the front should
the democrats be successful in the ma
tiGnal election. Its only immediate hope
is to do what Mr.. Bryan declared in 1885,
would be done He aid it was the para
mount issue and would remain the para,
mount issue until settled and settled
right. Are we to assume that it ha:
been settled and settled right, because thu
whole brood of democratic silver leaders
including Mr.. ToWne, are willing to &C
cept any other proposition but it for tn
paramount issue Of 1900?
The Helena Independent announce
that Mr.. Marcus DAILY will cease to mar