Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-21
SILVER BETRAYED,

Had the dominant faction OF the DEM
ocratic party steadfastly maintained the
position taken in 1896. relative to silver it
might have kept that issue to the front.
But democrat lzed as it was by the crush
ing political defeat of that year, it turn
ed away from the shibboleth of the cam
paign in search of what it believed to be
more suspicious conditions for the next
presidential contest. 1t realized that
a united democracy had been successful
in 1892, with free coinage left out of it's
platform. while a divided party in 1896
went down to defeat. The silver DEM
ocrats, assisted by the silver republicans
and the populists, made a strong battle
against the cohorts of the single stand
ard. but it proved ~unavailing.
Instead of rising above the conditionsI
of defeat, thrice armed because 'its quar-
rel was just and proclaiming the vir-
tues Of bimetallism from the house tops,
the dominant wing of the democracy
dropped the issue as a question for prac-
teal consideration, and sought to re-es-
tablish harmony between the two wings
of the party by retiring free coinage to
the rear. In the campaigns following The
disasters of 1896, the so-called silver DEM
ocracy repudiated the cooperative policy
which had united the silver forces in that
eventful year. and ~endeavored to show
the gold wing of that organization that
definite movements in the interest of the
white metal We're matters of history
alone.
To reunite the divided forces of a party
which had been broken on the wheels of
finance, was the apparent aim of the
prominent leaders of the democracy in
all sections of the country. A long per-
iod of silence on the part of the press,
relative to the unsettled financial prob
lens of the country, was followed by the
unanimous agreement that 'anti-imper-
ialism' and other questions had come to
the front as the paramount propositions
of the next campaign.
Colonel Bryan resigned from the army,
not to push the waning cause of silver
and bring together it's wavering lines, but
to create and promote the vapid, sense
less n wholly unimportant question of
imperialism. 'i Though he recognized
In the creation Of such artificial issues
the growth of political conditions which
would forever ALLEVIATE the silver parties
which co-operated in 1896, he nevertheless
urged the issue to the front in the belief
that it would result in bringing together
the silver and gold democrats on a COM
mon footing. No man in public life has
worked harder to an end thar has Colonel
Bryan to effect a reunion of the two an
~tagonistic elements in his party; and to
bring this about he has consented to the
placing of free coinage in the rear as an
inconsequential factor in the Forthcoming
campaign.
He hoped by such movement to render
his own candidacy certain, and his cleo
ton possible. His ambition has been to
duplicate the political success of Cleye-
land in 1892. through q reunited party.
For some time it was apparent that the
terms of reunion between the gold and
silver elements Of that organization were
satisfactory. and thai Bryan would be
nominated by reclamation. Indeed, it is
not SO certain that tina result will not