Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-21
THE HELENA FARCE.

party to govern the affairs of this state
was never more apparent to its intelli-
gent inhabitants than now.
Charge and counter charge, denuncia-
ton Il profanity, the abuse of power.
disregard of precedent and law. threats.
bolts. plots n counter plots-all these
We're characteristics of the democratic
convention which met in Helena on We'd
nesday.
A more disgraceful spectacle was never
witnessed and if the half is true of what
the factions said of each other the pros
pect of the success of either wing is
enough to make the taxpayers of the state
hank God that the end is in sight and
that a change is among the possibilities.
All principle has been thrown to the
winds. Democracy. populism and pro-
f~essional workingmanism are all confer
ring with a view to fusion and to an
upon which those parties were founded
and which led to their segregation in the
first place. 1t is a question of spoils
alone. Fol- spoils the democrats are will
ing to swallow populism. For spoils the
populists are willing to swallow a cer-
tain brand of democracy. For spoils the
labor party is willing to indorse both the
other parties including an alleged eight
our plank which is not worth the paper
it is written on and therefore is in con-
~travention of the very issue which gave
birth to the labor movement in politics.
Who told these delegates representing
the different parties at Helena to fuse?
Who instructed them to forsake their
own principles in order to get two or
three men on a fusion ticket? What
good will that do the struggling masses
who sent those delegates to Helena to
hold conventions? Why should an effort
be made to mix oil and water in order
that a dozen men may be put on a
ticket and get their hands into the pub
lie crib? Will that vindicate a principle?
Will that establish reform? Will that in
sure a triumph for democracy or popu-
lism or laborism? What will it mean
to those people of this state who
what will it mean to them if two or three
men of each party get their names on a
state ticket and abandon every principle
for which their organizations We're form
ed? Spells and expediency have been
placed above principle.
Four years ago the Anaconda STAN
dard was in favor of fusion on the silver
issue and two years later Endorsed the
convention which repudiated fusion and
betrayed silver. Four years ago the
Butte Miner fought fusion and two years
ago it fought fusion with, increased bit
terness. 1t denounced all fusionists. It
claimed that if any ma desired to help
silver he must, to be honest. join the
democratic party. It raved and swore
and had fits whenever fusion was men,
toned. Yet now that same Butte Miner
is leading the movement for a fusion Of
three parties, while he Standard is vi
olently opposed to fusion n advocates
the organization of a new democracy"
saying ~oracuiarly in oub leads that,
Mark it's words" it also says the new
democracy will at the coming election
carry every county in the state that will
show a democratic majority.
Did mortal men ever see such a spec
tacle? Did a great political party ever
SO speedily change itself into an aggre-
cation Of opera bouffe transformers? In
the presence of such a show what must
patriotic citizens do, what can they do
but register their disgust at the whole
sickening farce by voting the republican
ticket to save the state from obloquy
ami decentralization? There is no other
course open to intelligent citizens who
have state pride and self respect. With
a fusion ticket nominated at Helena,
looking like a political crazy quilt, and a
new" democratic ticket nominated at
Butte for the benefit of Smith, Collins
and Hartman, is it not about time for all
good citizens to join hands with the re-
puplicanS and redeem the state?
EcuTr crrGS 0C To-