Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-22
PERK or Arx

today the gravest peril of it's existence.
Events are threatening which seem to be
the forerunners of possible disaster. They
call for the high minded consideration of
men who love the state as much as the
republican party and who will act with
the conscience of patriots as well as the
zeal of ~partisans. From causes which
students of recent history know have
their origin either in personal rancor or
business rivalry, and sometimes in
both, a crisis is approaching in the life OF
the republican party which must be met
bravely, firmly, unselfishly, wisely, hon
estly. The alternative is the division, dis
Indignation and collapse of hat political
organization which in this state has al
ways stood for honor, for high character,
for progress, for law and order, for the
exceptions, for political integrity and
good faith.
For many years the democratic party
has been rent asunder by personal differ
ences which We're supposed to be irrecon-
cilable being largely of a personal char
acter. The republican party, however,
except for the temporary split on silver,
has ever been united even in defeat n
has gradually been winning the public
confidence until now, when a splendid VIC
tory is probably within reach, difficulties
t,,,a ,o, ,1 - l,>D.. 10 ~1-,11y tho
party~fn more confusion than ever affliet-
ed the opposition, and which, unless
speedily ended, will change the promise
of triumph into the certainty of defeat.
The simple fact is that owing to cir
cunistances we'll understood, two great
mining concerns Zach employing a great
number of men who are presumably loyal
to the interests of their employers have
become involved in a tremendous legal
warfare concerning certain mining prop
erty. OF themselves they are great pub
lie benefactors as they give employment
to labor and largely keep up the business
of the community. But it is said Of them
or they say of each other that they are in
politics as we'll as mining and the streets
echo with the cry of corporation dicta-
tion,' the republican party will be sWal-
up Company employees ARE to
seeks to control the courts, or the legis-
lature, or the sheriff's office" etc.. ad
libitum. It is not for this newspaper to
decide whether these charges are true or
false, for like. the community in general
it e~ntertains only the most friendly sentl-
ments towards men who invest their
means and build up great industrial. en-
terprises here and rejoices impartially at
their success. Owing, however, to the
rivalry existing between certain corpora
lions there has been a division Of public
opinion as to the truth or falsity of
statements put forth on their behalf
Their friends and beneficiaries have taken
sides and either with or without the ap-
prevail of the mine managers themselves
a feeling of intense bitterness towards one
or the other of the big concerns has aris-
en-. Each side has ardent friends, because
each side has certain merit, until finally
the doctrine has been proclaimed, without
authority, of course, from headquarters,
that IF You are not for us you are against
U.S." This is most unfortunate because
nineteen twentieths of the people of Butte
have an equally friendly feeling towards
both sides of the dispute and dislike to be
towards any of the great concerns upon
which Butte depends for it's wonderful
prosperity. Besides they d. not know
whether the companies themselves or
only their more or less irresponsible and
s~elf-appointed representatives on street
corners desire them to take sides in a
terest and in which their only feeling is
one of regret that the warfare has broken
out. Yet there can be no doubt that
much bitterness has been created, that it
injuriously affects business, that it can
accomplish no good result and that it has
gone beyond the point contemplated or
desired by the chief parties in interest.
Nevertheless the situation would be bear
able were it not for the fact that in its
recent phases it has come to extend be-
yond the county's confines and to threat
en- the very existence of the republican
party in this state. The Inter Mountain
declines to place any credence in the
statement that one of the corporations
referred to opposes to control the repub-
llcan party for it's own benefit or that the