Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-26
YESTERDAY AND TODAY"

Under the caption Yesterday and To-
day. the Anaconda Standard of this
morning deliberately misrepresents the
Inter Mountain in the following a n
guage
The Inter Mountain declares that its
editorial page of the year 1898 is very
different from it's editorial page of today,
and that goes without argument.
The Inter Mountain made no such
declaration, and the Standard is chal-
lenged to reproduce from these columns
any statement that directly or indirectly
implies such a declaration. When a
newspaper Is so lost to self-respect as TO
resort to cold FLOODED Misrepresentation.
in an effort to make a point. and pub
fishes a long editorial on public morals
with such Misrepresentation for 4 text,
it's editor is either drunk or insane-or
both.
As late as last night the Inter Noun
tain expressly stated that its position in
1899 was not in issue-that it condemned
legislative corruption then as it does
<9day. whenever the facts are made app
rarent. The position Of this paper on
questions involving the moral turpitude
nf the democratic party has not altered
stanc in the history of the Inter Noun
in wherein it has condoned crime in
any form; but, in common with a great
majority of the citizens of this state, it
has learned to look with some degree Of
charity upon those who are accused by
the Anaconda Standard. Even a vigil
bE0ce committee, engaged in The act OF
hanging a horse thief, would dosist from
their fell designs and quietly disperse
c:2ald it be shown that the charge against
vaae man originated in the Standard.
Whatever might be the other evidences
of his guilt, the accusation in the Stand
ard would raise a reasonable presump-
ton of innocence.
When the pot can with propriety call
the kettle black: when one thief can
prove his W moral e~xcellencies, and
credibility as a man, by turning states
evidence and swearing away the liberty
or another thief; when dogs cease to re-
turn to their vomit and sows forget to
wallow in their swill, newspapers of the
Anaconda Standard type may be looked
upon as the purveyors of political purity.
But not before.
Like a fugitive from justice, whose
crime has been outlawed by the statutes
of limitation, the Standard Naits over
six years and then wants to know why
the Inter Mountain did not accuse it of
wrong doing in 1898, if it was guilty OF
discreditable acts at that time. With it's
over-grown assurance, which by COM
parison would make the ponderous stom-
ach of a Roman emperor look like a
shriveled h~uckleberry, the Standard cam
not comprehend the public charity which
was extended to it's diminutive wins OF
the democracy in 1893. Though it accom-
plished the ends Of a private revenge.
through the corrupt political methods
- ~ AuuClIOH as the 60l.
ance of power in the legislative assem-
bly, of that year, it fortunately served as
a neutralizing force for it's equally cor
rupt competitive faction in the demo-
cratic party.
1t is related that once upon a time a
grave robber resurrected a corpse. IN
order to steal a diamond ring of great
value. In cutting of the finger to get
the ring. the supposed corpse. came to
life, having been in a trance. In the low
of the momen the grave robber was for
given. He was cheerfully given the
value of the ring and lived happily the
balance of his days. In 1893, when the
industrial life of this state was threat
ened with the. blight of free trade. the
public felt that it could at least extend
to the Anaconda wing of the democracy
the charity of it's silence, when it aided
in h work of preventing a democratic
legislature from electing a democratic
senator. Though it accomplished this
good result through bad motives. like the