Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-13

considered military steps will be taken
by either side. The dash and bluff and
hurrah of the early stages of the W a
are over-from now on it Is q cold. care |
full planning of details before a blow is
struck. Every British repulse may !
lengthen the war. but it does not neces-
sarily strengthen the hopes of the Beers.
The press dispatches announce that
the silver republicans of. Oregon held
no convention yesterday at Portland.
Ore, the reason being that there were
not enough delegates in attendance to
hold one. The democrats n part of the
populists, after much wrangling, scame
to an agreement over the spoils and
finally agreed upon a platform. which
embraces about all the populistic-social-
istic dogmas and theories. 1t also de-
clares for Filipino independence, n de-
mands that we shall give up all that has
been won by the courage and sacrifices
of American soldiers. In other words,
they demand that the United States shall
dishonor itself and humiliate itself by
s~urrendering to Aguinaldo n his ban
dts. The fact that the silver repub-
licans failed to hold a convention is sig
meant. 1t indicates clearly hat in Ore
gon there is deemed to be no further me-
cessity for continuing the organization.
Two or three causes have doubtless OPP
Grated to bring about this condition, the
! first being the almost universal con-
! demnation on the part of silver repub-
licans of the democratic attitude on the
Philippine question and the encourage
ment which it has given, and is still Civ
ing. to the enemies of our country. The
second is the general knowledge that
most of the men who We're at the head
of the silver republican movement in
1896 have publicly announced in advance,
their full sympathy with all the demo-
cratic contentious and Of their purpose
to support the democratic ticket.
Towne, Cannon, Dubois and ttigrew
are more radical han Mr.. BIZ q him
self in their anti-expansion VIEWS. They
haye abandoned every plank of the-silver
republican platform, and there = is
longer the slightest excuse for Railing
themselves anything but democrats.
Senator Teller, while as ardently in
favor of silver as ever he was, is diamet-
rically opposed to the democratic atti-
tude on expansion. He is firm in his
contention that honor. dignity. morality,
loyalty, our self-interest and common
sense ,all alike demand that we shall
maintain what we "a won, and he
denies with emphasis the democratic ar
gument that the constitution necessarily
follows the flag.
The third reason is that the situation
is entirely changed from what it was in
1896. Then. in Mr.. Bryan's language,
silver was the paramount issue. All
other questions, he said, were subor-
dinate, and must wait upon the settle
ment of the one vital issue.
Now. it is apparent to every intelligent
observer that silver is no longer the par
amount issue with the democracy. It is
. no longer the paramount issue with Mr.
Bryan himself. Anti-expansion has su-
. perseded the silver question, and, much
as Mr.. Bryan has done to change the
paramount issue, it is doubtful whether
he could have prevented it had he tried
Events have been transporting during the
mast four years which Mr.. Bryan, mol
any other man, or combination OF men
could control-events which no man o.
party could ~foresee, which no man fo1
party could prevent.