The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-02-21
A Story Between the Lines.

couiHllttee WHICH IL investigating SEN
ator Clarks election. there is a story
between the lines which stands out
clearly and should attract the attention
of all thoughtful readers. The one con-
spicuous fact which is presented Is that
the great mining milionaires of whom
Clark is but type, make it uniform
practice TO squander money lavishly.
and in amounts heretofore unheard OF.
In ordinary elections. Ex-Gov. Hauser
has told how the big Four'-Daly,
Broadwater, Clark and himself-in the
first state election. each put up $4,000
as their first contribution to the Demo-
cratic campaign fund. which was fol-
lowed by other contributions approx
mating the same amount, and that the
money raised and expended in the state
capital fight aggregated at least a mil
lion dollars. These stories are confirm
ed by Senator Clark, who added that
he himself had seen the votes of men
openly bought and paid for in the
streets of Butte in the election Of 1895.
and that the practice was so universal
and so condoned by public sentiment
complaints against the guilty parties.
Senator Clarks' admitted expendi-
lures in the campaign of two years
ago were upwards of $4,000, and
yet at that time he says ne was
not candidate for the senate.
But Gov. Hauser says that Mr..
Clark was a very careful man. ana
clearly intimates that the senator was
not regarded as liberal spender, but
rather as a hard man to get money
from, differing In that respect from
other well known mining men of wealth.
All four of these mining miliionaires.
who are prepared TO. and who do. ac-
cording to this testimony. spend mil
lions I'm carrying the elections in their
own state, are Democrats, all are ar
dent free silver men, and all are in
terested. to greater or less extent, in
the production of silver, an interest suf-
ficiently great to warrant n careful and
rather penurious man, such as Mr..
Clark. in spending money literally. In
the hope of procuring legislation which
might possibly advance the price OF his
product, and thus increase his wealth.
This Montana group OF mining mil
lionaires Is not singular; each great
mining state can show a parallel to It.
They have general characteristics in
common. aside from their great wealth:
they have acquired great fortunes rap
idly. spend money freely for the grati-
fication of their own desires, or for the
Advancement of their personal interests,
and are none too sorupulous IN the
means which they employ There is a
further feature in common: all. or near
ly all, were conspicuous advocates of
free silver, for they had a direct pecu-
MARY interest in enhancing the price Of
a metal which was. at the least, a by
product Of their mining operations.
Does not an this throw a strong light
on the growth and development of the
free silver craze. and on the sklllfully
devised and cunningly conducted propa-
ganda, which suddenly commenced to
flood the country with free silver liter
allure. and which sent out swarm of
peripatetie orators equipped with argu-
ments designed 70 catch those who were
suffering from the pinch OF the hardest
times seen in a generation? How dId
a young Nebraska newspaper man, with
n sift for stringing glittering sentences
together. but with no means save his
salary. which. under ordinary newspa-
per conditions. would be little more
than bare livelihood. suddenly ma the
time and means to tour All over the
country. making speeches on behalf o,
the new faith. which SO quickly super
coded an the former Democratic dog
mas, and became the one particular test
OF orthodoxy, ana the prominent advo-
cacy OF which on his part enabled him
20 become the nominee o. his party for
the Vyesideucye These are interesting
questions. IL Is scarcely likely that the
exact facts viii ever be known. unless
some Of the great mining mHlionaires.
I'm the spirit ot frank and cynical indls-
ference 70 the pIblic sentiment on the
subject ~ corruption In politics. whlsh
was displayed by eS-Gov. Hauser while
on the witness stand. may elect 10 un-
bosom themselves and tell the true story
q the free silver propaganda and the
nomination * Bryan
The testimony in the clark case how
ever furnishes "a strong clew "a the real
facts. and is suHie.ea, 10 warraa, The
belief that millions OF money were spent
on behalf O.; the new propaganda In the
years Immediately preceding the last