Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-26
HEDGING ON SILVER

HEDGING ON SILVER
In trying to change the Nance of the sill
Yer republican party to Lincoln (Ne-
braska) republicans" Provisional Chair
man Towne has succeeded in giving
away his hand on the free coinage issue.
If anything was needed, in addition to the
proposition to rob that organization of it's
distinguishing feature by depriving Tvs
title of the word "silver,"t to show that Mr..
Towne recognizes that the issue of free
coinage has been retired from the forth
coming campaign, his recent interview IN
the New York World would supply the
missing link. In commenting on the poll
teal situation Charlie Towne played
Alpha to Charlie Hartman's Omega as
follows:
I believe in the principles of the Chica-
go platform. Moreover, merely from the
standpoint of practical politics, a failure
to reafirm it, at least by reference. would
lose more votes than it would gain. New
ertheless. the money plank OF that plat
form cannot be repeated verbatim, be-
cause it bases the demand for free coin
age on the fact of falling prices. whereas
prices now are not falling.
The Inter Mountain has all along MAIN
tanned tina the democratic party would
not reaffirm the language of the Chicago
platform on the silver question, but would
content itself with reference only to
that document-a reference" susceptible
of one kind of an Interpretation in n To-
cality and another Interpretation some
where else. We now have the statement
of no less an authority than the official
head of the silver republican party, who
is seeking to dump" that organization
nto the democracy, "for value received"
that the Chicago platform cannot be re-
peated verbatim" on account of changed
conditions!
If the Chicago platform declared for
free coinage because prices were falling,
as MI. Towne AYERS, the declaration can
not be repeated when prices are rising.
Hence, a new basis must be found for a
uecldidllOu ol luiS hllu, VI TIE uecldId-
ton must not be made! If Mr.. TONNES
reasoning be correct the conditions which
made free coinage desirable in 1896 no
longer exist, hence free coinage is nc
longer desirable! 1t necessarily follows
that time was based on falling prices,
the rising prices of the present destroy
the demand for free coinage.
But if Mr.. own believes in the ''prin-
ciples'' of the Chicago platform, and yet
| recognizes that they cannot be gotten
into good working order under the pres
propose as a substitute? The Chicago
platform made a clean, clear-cut declara-
ton in favor of the free coinage Of sill
yer and gold at a ratio of 16 to l, by the
independent action of this nation. If that
language cannot be reaff1rmed, what does
the leader of the silver republican party
expect from the democracy in behalf OF
silver? 1t was that plank in the platform
and that plank alone-that lead the sill
yer republicans in 1896 to cooperate with
the democratic party. Under what pre-
fences does Mr.. Towne expect to inveigle
them into another endorsement Of demo
cracy this yea If the conditions are such
that the silver declarations of 1896 "can'
not be repeated verbatim?"
The fact is, Mr.. Towne is trying to edu.
cate the silver republicans up to an en-
dorsement of what he believes to be tn,
probable action of the democratic part,
at Kansas City. so he may deliver tn,
goods and claim his regard, notwith,
standing the mastery retreat from tn,
standpoint of free coinage. He know,
that 1t is within the plans of the silve1