The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1868-07-17
THE LEGISLATURE.

In view of the approaching election,
and in advocating the election of compe-
tent Republicans TO the Legislature, we
propose to show the necessity for ip3-
provement in the legislation of Mons
tana; that the unanimously Democratic
House and Council of last winter were
incompetent, or intentionally false to the
people, and that they demand relief from
Democratic misrule. The Democratic
press talks in glittering generalities of
Congressional misrule. We intend to
take the case in Montana, and show by
specific acts the most gross and glaring
outrages upon the rights of the people,
and defiance of United States enact
ments. We charge violation of law in
restricting suffrage and granting charter
monopolies; an imposition upon the
people in passing acts to enrich greedy
spectators at the expense of tax payers;
mining laws that are burden upon the
miners; town-site act that would make
every lawyer in Montana rich to the inn
poverishing os property holders; acts
and resolutions that are disgrace TO
any commonwealth. and an outrage upon
any Legislative body; whether they were
the result of ignorance or premeditated
wrong.
These we will take in their order and
submit first the act respecting suffrage,
which came near costing the Territory
revocation of its Organic Act, and ne
cessitated deception to prevent it. The
Congress of the United States passed the
following enactment, which was ap-
proved, Jan. "A. 1867.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of Amer
lea in Congress assembled, That from and af-
ter the passage of tins act, ''there shall be no
denial of the elective franchise in any of the
Territories of the United States, now or here
after TO be organized, to any citizen thereof,
on account of race, color, previous condi-
tion of servitude; and all acts or part of acts
either OF Congress or the Legislative assem-
blies of said Territories, inconsistent with the
provisions of this act sre hereby declared null
and void.
BY an act of the Legislature of Mon
tana, Approved Nov. 22nd, 1867, the fol-
lowing became one of the laws of Mon-
tana:
BE it enacted by the Legislature of Montana
Territory:
SEC. 1. That section 1 of said act, be so
amended as to read rs follows: That all white
male citizens of the United States, and those
who have declared their intention to become
citizens, above the age of twenty-one years,
shall be entitled to vote at any election for
delegate to Congress and for Territorial,
county and precinct officers, provided they
shall have resided in the Territory twenty
days and in the county ten days where they
offer to vote, next preceding the day of cleo
ton.
The attention OF the Legislature being
called to the fact that it was in violation
of the acts of the United States, the fol-
lowing supplementary act was passed
and approved, Dec 16, 1867.
Be it enacted by the legislative assembly of
/ the Territory of Montana.
[ SEC. 1. That NOTHING in act entitled. an
act to amend an act entitled 'An act regulat-
( ing the holding of elections in Montana Ter
/ ritory'' Approved Nov. %, 1868, shall NOT be
/ so construed as to conflict with OF abridge
the pights of any person persons enfran-
chised by law of Congress, Approved, Jan.
"a, 1867.
/ SEC. z All acts ana parts OF acts, lncon-
sistent with this act, are hereby repealed.
SEC. 3. This act to take effect and be In full
force from and after Its passage.
There is one specimen of Democratic
legislation. The original act, by stupid
ignorance or fraudulent intent, stands
unchanged, in clear, unmistakeable de-
fiance of United States authority
Whether by blunder or intent, it is suf
ficient evidence that the legislature eth
er lacked brains or obedience to the laws
of the country. Are such men fit to make
laws for thirty thousand Montanians
Answer at the polls. .s
SEYMOUR'S EXPLANATION.