Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-27

In defense of its course, as q self-consti-
tuted court Of justice, the Standard this
morning submits the following judicial
propositions that are worthy Of attention:
But no matter how bad the "other
wing" of the democracy may or may not
be. that cannotp possibly justify, excuse or
extenuate the crime with which Mr..
Clark is charged. The Inter Mountains
latter day idea of justice. If generally p
piled, would re quire the acquittal of
every man CHARGE with murder because
somebody else was suspected of assault
and battery.
AS an abstract proposition. the point
made in the opening sentence of the fore
going paragraph is we'll taken. 1t is un-
doubtedly true that the packed caucuses
and colonized wards and rape of the bal
lot, practiced by the 'other wing in
order to prevent Mr.. Clark from securing
a majority in the legislature without
buying it, does not justify any subse-
quent crime committed by the latter
even though 1t might be urged that it was
done as an Offset to the previous sins of
his party enemies. Two wrongs do not
make a right. No one can excuse Mr..
Clark for any offense committed, on the
grounds that the opposition wing of his
party set the example of an illegal use
of money in politics. The Standard Is
quite right as to that proposition, and we
know of no one who has disputed the
fundamental truth that the guilt Of one
man cannot be excused on account of the
guilt of another.
But the further argument of the
Standard, brought out in the foregoing
excerpt from it's columns, is quite an
other thing. 1t would impress upon the
public the idea that by virtue of the judi
cial principle referred to, the offenses of
the ''other wing should cut no figure in
the trial of Mr.. Clark. Herein it's logic
becomes lame. No case was ever tried
under our criminal laws in which the de-
PENDANT was denied the right to impeach
the character of the prosecuting witness,
if in his power to do so. If a horse thief,
for instance, could prove that the prose-
cutting witness was also a horse thief,
and no better than himself. he could at
least raise a presumption of innocence
and perhaps modify the character of his
prove that men who are prosecuting him
have been for years engaged in the illegal
use of money in politics, and purchased
corporation legislation from the Sixth
legislative assembly, he will weaken the
moral force of the evidence given against
himself. The strength of the testimony
given by a witness is rapidly d~issipated,
if he be guilty Of the same offense against
the law which he seeks to fasten upon
another.
II view of the conduct Of both wings
of the democracy, for years past. the
contention Of the Inter Mountain that
each should be thoroughly probed by the
senate committee, and the facts as to the
delinquencies Of both sides set forth, is
unquestionably. correct. This position is
taken, not in defense of Mr.. Clark. but
in defense of a judicial principle that is
as old as the human race. Instead Of
fighting like a ~superanuated hyena in a
fence corner, to avoid a thorough investi-
cation into the character and standing Of
it's own wing Of the democracy, the
Standard ought to invite it. Undoubt-
eddy it would do so, We're it not afraid Of
the results.
The Inter Mountains ~offense, in the
eyes of the Standard, has not been that
we have defended Mr.. Clark-as we have
not lone so-but that we nave asked for
the truth, the whole truth, and nothing
but the truth concerning both wings of
the democratic party. If Mr.. Clark goes
down under the application of this rule
so much the worse for Mr.. Clark. If the
''other wing is also unmasked-so much
the worse for the Standard. The indie
pendent citizens of thiss state believe that
neither wing Of the democracy will come
out of the contest like Caesars wife
above suspicion.
After the editor of the Standard shall
have been appointed to the senatorial
vacancy, to be caused by the expulsion Of
Clark, he should remember that the Inter
Mountain has not criticised the governor
for selecting him. On the contrary, his