The avant courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1871-1872, 1872-01-11
BOHEMIAN MONTANA TERRITORY, TH HURsDAY, "A
THE CAPITAL QUESTION.

we had it intimated To MS last week TIM
an eIort would be made to spring tie Capit,
q question about the last days Of the presen
4 session Of the Legislature. "A correspondent
OF the Monta'aian Of the I'd says that dis
Il posltl0n IS eyinced by some 4of the member
OF the Legislature to renew the act proyidin.
for change in the location of the CAPITAL q
the Territory. We did hope that this aues
ton of the removal Of the Capital would s,
allowed to remain in statw quo for at least tws
years longer, and we are still Of the opinion
that, there is common sense enough III Till
Assembly to see the injury, fallacy and iacl
OF wisdom and policy, in legislating upor
this question at the present time. The con.
dition of our Territory is more unsettled al
the present time than it has been since the
| first organization of Territorial Government.
We are now on the eve OF the advent of q
railroad which viii reyolutionize the Terri.
tory, upset the present pretentions Of towns
and villages to metropolitan greatness, and
bring into existence cities more centrally To-
Gated and in every respect more desirable for
the Capital of the Territory, At the next
things will be in existence, and we are salts
fled should the question of removal be SUBJ
mitted, determined and accomplished, that
the succeeding Legislature would again Leg
islate for its removal; for at that time it is
probable permanent Capital can be decided
upon. No town in the Territory can, at the
present time, present as substantial claims to
the Capital as Bozeman. We are surrounded
by all the elements of permanency, and our
progress, now rapid and certain, is based
upon an infallible foundation. The same
cannot be said of any other town in Montana.
Bozeman at present is the only progressive
town in the Territory, with future unques-
tionably more promising than any Of its sis
ter cities. With all of this in our favor, we
ask in the name Of the people OF the Terri
tory, that there be no legislation on this sub
ject at the present.
We present below the communication al
luded to in the Montanian, and heartily in
dorse every word contained therein:
q "A more unWise measure-one fraught
with greater evil to the future interests of
Montana, could not at this time be made the
subject of domestic legislation. Is there any
more suitable location than Virginia for the
Capital in the present condition Of the Ter
ritory. No combination Of business elements
has as yet determined the fact, that five years
hence any of the towns now existing in Mon
tana will contain a hundred inhabitants.
Helena enjoys a forced growth, which her
own people admit is unwarranted by any or
all ofthe resources upon which she depends |
for future support. Deer Lodge, by the in
nerent eyanescence of all the boasted advan-
ages 1t was supposed to possess, already pre-
sents the condition OF business community |
Ill of whose pursuits are essentially over
lone; yet both these towns aspire to ke the
uture Capital of Montana.
Would it be wise to seJbgaqtdTrence ebatndnTar ,,c - not
,..saon ;raemmstances may dete,alliiic some
10 there. either BozemaD or Gailatin "a Y CITY
'i''. ~ wong location Dr the Capital, A +
y ssal w Ddcertaintp exists among the peo- t
',itss 1e Territory on the subject. Virginia !
p'o do claim to future consideration. It is I
lsll understood that the Capital ought not
, remain here day longer than it can be {
,moved to more central position. which 9
it'll the elements Of eligibility unitcs those /
permanency and duration. Can this be G
one row? Who believes that Helena is Ger
lin to possess even its present supremacy |
yer other towns in the Territory two years G
niger? Deer Lodge has already gone into =
ate of decadence and neither of the other G
Iaces mentioned have any foundation for /
claim. a Ts, a 5|
At the next biennial session OF the Legis-
ture we shall be Id the enjoyment Of the 4
reat developing improvement OF the Terri a
ry. Our population will probably be treble '
hat it is at present. Towns will have sprung a
D in our valleys and along our water-courses
points that are now desolate. The power e
enormous capital, in the hands Of the most t
owerful corporation on the continent, will t
etermlne that there is nothing here now s
hich may not be speedily overshadowed,
I'd the Capital Of the Territory can then be '
moved to permanent locality and our u
ablic buildings erected, without dollar Of f
Ipense to the Territory. Meanwhile, its
nlporary location. here will cost nothing. H y
If, however, the present session determine '
rain to submit the question of location to
e people, it will inspire new combinations Fl
.tUcnr d. MI ffnrnnt nartS aof the TarrtOry1 II