Montana news., 1906-01-31
CHAPTER IN.
(The Silver Craze.)

election to Fusion tactics, he was one
of the few men in politics at this time
who proved to be more honest than
either his party OF his affiliations.
Corporations, political rings, and Grim.
inal combinations felt his iron rule of
honest administration. The people
loved him for his honesty and the poll.
tieians. feared him on account Of his
honesty. Bottle Keno, Kelly, Costello
and even Spinney were fast becoming
"things of the past. Hank Grady
in an evil moment attempted to kill
Rose Spinney in her room at the Castel.
lano. After long and hotly con.
tested trial, where his whole criminal
career was dragged into the light Of
day, he was convicted and sentenced
to the penitentiary. Exit Grady.
Spinney sold out his property and
Golden City knew him no more. Kelly
still hangs around the badlands and
Bottle Keno left this earth for another
world. Crimmins is said to be con
verted to better things. Costello died
by his own hand. frankie Rainey
went to Alaska where she is reported
to have become rich myself con.
eluded to go north also, but on my
way TO the polar regions | stayed off
in the state of Washington in the city
Of Puget.
The city is one of the most progress
sive of the cities of the north. Golden
City in her palmiest days of machine
rule had never seen more corruption
than Puget experienced before and
after the big fire. But as ] said al.
ready, the tidal wave of reform had
struck the country and Puget in par
tieular. A new star arose on the po.
htieal horizon. Inat star was Bryan,
the Delphian oracle who proclaimed in
words of fire ''you cannot put upon
the brow of labor a crown Of thorns,
nor cruelty mankind upon cross of
gold" This tribune of the forum said
that all our political ills were caused
by "the gold standard" The Pop
ulists said so, the reform (O Demo
Gratis said so, and the reform (D Re
publieans said so. The people as usual
listened. and as usual were fooled and
betrayed.
The Pops" were led by a gang Of
discredited eharlstans from the old ma.
chimes. The Democrats were led by a
bevy of new political ringmasters who
were failures in the old circus of sham
democracy. And the Republicans were
led to the shambles by a few dis
gruntled shysters who were unable to
handle the reins of the G. o. p.
The reform wave was on and some
thing must be done. What wing would
I join in withi had been through a
Fusion deal already. ] had also been
straight machine man. But now,
in this city of Puget, i was up
against novelty. Three parties were
all for the same thing-the free and
unlimited coinage of silver at a ratio
of l6 to !. These three parties were
afraid to join into one party-that
would be treason to tradition, il might
do away with "my fathers politics" T"
Finally ten men-four from the Pops,
four from the Democrats, and two from
the Silver Republicans-met and de.
cided upon the formation of a political
trinity-one party with three heads, or
one head with three parties. Some
said it was a Triple Alliance, others
called it a three.ringed-circus.
When the three conventions met the
spoils of office were agreed upon after
prolonged squabble. Honesty is a
good thing to speak about, and per
haps better thing to practice; but il
you are up against "the gold stand
ard", and you mean to win, you are
liable, especially in a political cam
paign, to throw a little "free silver
among the ward heelers. You can tr,
all kinds of experiments upon them but
there is nothing so popular after al
as a handful of "dough."
When i left for the north ] had ,
few letters Of introduction in my pos
session. One Of them was from m,
first political employer, the Hon. Jobi
s. More. I presented it to Eugene W
Spray of Puget City-one of the ode
cemvirs. He did the rest. Suffice |
to say that ] was put to work in tn
bad lands. Eugene said, edo you
best, and IL you know Of any new
wrinkles in the game, put us next.
I had four chances to go to work tha
self same day in Puget. A saw mil
man at Ballard offered me job shovel
ing sawdust at $l.5O per day; rancho
near Puget City offered me 500
month and board; and an excavatin
contractor in the city offered me wor
at $1.25 a day. Board and room coul