Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-07
THREE wars OF NEwyxe ".

the Clark trial, criticisfng or approving
the testimony given by witnesses on
either side as the conditions seemed to
this paper as one Of a trinity OF Clark
organs, the other two being the Butte
Miner and Helena Independent.
The Standard expresses the opinion that
editorial matter might be exchanged with
impunity between these three papers,
without altering the status of any ole Of
them.
While the unfairness of such a conclu-
sion is apparent to the public. NO, one
blames the STANDARD for it's opinions, as
they are merely the off shoots of ighor-
ant malice. which lacks the capacity to
be fair and the disposition to be just.
With the Standard it is purely a ques-
ton of winning out" on any proposition
that arises. be it great or small, without
reference to the means employed. :,
1t has no respect for. the facts when the,
facts stand in it's way, as they usually.
do. az
Thus. in the consideration of the Clark
case, it is mentally unable to grasp as
big a fact as the possibility of any per-
son taking an independent and impartial
position. @-s
1t has described an ever-accelerating
motion around this case, with Clark for
a pivot, until it can see nothing dancing
before its yes but the pictures of that
gentleman's guilt. M
1t has become a monomaniac on the
subject. n cannot rise to a cerebral
height that can comprehend such a
strange monstrosity. as an independent
view of the case! H.J.
From it's standpoint everybody believes
in the charges against Clark, as outlined
Standard, OF they are enjoying the
bounties Of that gentleman's pocketbook!
While it is useless to argue with a
crank. especially a newspaper crank, it Is
unpleasant for a large percentage Of the
people of this state to be classified
against their will with either faction of
the democratic party, by the official Or
gan of one division of the feud.
The Righteousness of such an attempt
would be made more apparent We're the.
Butte Miner to lake the same posftiea
relative to the interests of MI. Clark
1t has just as much right to change I'm
dependent persons and newspapers with
being under the patronage, OF. this, Ana,
.conda wing OF the democracy, WITH u
that might imply in a political or ,fnan7
cial sense. when they refuse to publicly
proclaim the innocence Of Mr.. Clark In
advance Of the evidence, as has the
Standard to- take like grounds on the
other side Of the fence. 81
-
While the Clark case is an important
matter, in that it is an exposure Of
democratic methods in his state and
shows that the party has attained poll
teal power only through the use of mon
ey, it is not, as they would say on the
street, "the whole cheese"
1t is merely an incident in the history
of the state.
The state of Montana does not revolve
around that case, using Clark as an
axis; nor does a mans personal belief
in the merits or dement's of the contro-
versy constitute his test of fealty as a
citizen.
There are good citizens who believe in
the guilt of Mr.. Clark, other good citi-
zens are equally confident tina he is in
nocent, while still others believe that the
evidence alone. duly weighed and con-
sidered, should determine a question of
SO much Importance to the man whose
interests are in issue in the outcome Of
the trial.
1t is fair to assume that to the latter
class belong by far the greater proper
ton of the people, as men whose interest
in, the matter is Of a public rather than Z
personal character, are not given to pre-
judging questions Of this type. 10
The Standard represents those whose
personal %prejudices would stop at moth
ing. and who would have strangled Clark
just as cheerfully in advance of the cleo
ton of 1898 as they would at the close
of the present trial in Washington.
With them it is not a question of prov
ing anything. but a question Of getting
rid of a personal enemy.
The Butte Miner and the Helena Inde-
pendent represent those who would give