Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-30
POLITICAL SELFSHHESS.
formed.

Whatever may be said to the credit OF
the democratic party, no one has as yet /
accused it of being unselhsh.
In purely political matters, in which
nothing but questions of gratitude are
in igsuE. tie course of the democracy can
he invariably outlined With reasonable
accuracy i~nsadNance.
Aqotfsle instance in which its seihsh
kappetite for office went to. an inordlna'e
extreme was the treatment accorded the
populists and the silver republicans in
1898.
In that case selfshness, ingratitude
and political treachery of the basest sort
! combined in bringing about the results
finally attained, leading up to broken
friendships and the ruin of regulations
which had heretofore ridden the poilti-
| cal storms u~nimpaired.
| The. course of the democracy that year
was in many respects a novel one-but
it was purely democratic.
Resurrected from the quicksands Dv
the populists in 1896, it's only exhibition
Of gratitude has been a persistent and
more or less successful attempt to effect
the political ruin Of it's benefactors.
It's treatment Of the silver republicans
was characterized by the same political
hoggishness-the same spirit Of treach-
cry and deceit.
But while the democratic party has
apparently taken pride in every little
coup which slick or treach-
cry Of the grosser sort might make pos
sible, it has been the boast of many OF
it's leaders that their organization stood
for the elevation of the judiciary and the
n~on-partisan character of our courts.
5 When Judge Buck died, these eminent
gentlemen. many of them bucking the
broncho tripods Of the democratic press
insisted that the political equilibrium q
the supreme court should be maintained
: by the appointment Of a democratic
judge as his successor.
No issue was taken to this eminently
fair proposition by the republican press
and the appointment Of Mr.. Piggot, :
: democrat, excited only the hearties
commentator on all sides.
: The force Of the argument made b,
the democrats, that inasmuch as thei
party had elected Judge Buck the va
cancy caused by his death should b
filled by a democrat, was recognized an
te his appointment caused no adverse crit
le cism from any quarter.
l. But when Justice Hunt-a republican
resigned from the supreme bench, dem
e ocratic respect for the political equil
Y ibrium of that body Immediately disap
= peared.
d Before Mr.. Hunt actually laid dow
st the duties of his high office, the demo
k cratic governor made haste to select
in democrat to fill the vacancy.
Is No time was given for any such thin
le as a public expression as to the views {
MS the people, or the opinions of the ba
IL respecting the choice of a successor
OF the able gentleman who was about
retire from the bench.
H. To prevent any such calamity as
U.s. little wholesome advice from men bett,
re. Qualified to judge of such matters tha
lst himself, the governor lost no time in S
iii lecting a democrat for that high office.
hs While no one sees fit to question Il
III personal merits of the man appointe
"s or raise a doubt as to his qualification
us it is noticeable that those democrat
"e newspapers which clamored so lusti
' for a democratic successor to Judge Blu
Ito maintain the political equilibrium
the supreme court-have advanced
arguments in favor of a republican su
cessor to Judge Hunt!
nj
:. The new member of the court of Ia
resort will doubtless fill the bill quite
we'll as any other man whom the go
ade
ernor might have named, neverthele
the haste with which a democrat was s
lected to fill a position created by the
- t%ire1nent of a republican, gives tho
to the balderdash of the bourbon pre-
DIS " hai play III MATTERS oi d presu'
.aa ably non-partisan character.
H
rFal IS IT NOT p0ScjRfE