Helena weekly herald., 1874-08-13

From H., A>ant Courier. August
The election passed OFT without any unllsu-
al occurrence. Every interest in il seemed
TO center on the Capital Law, and hard work
was done on both sides, notW outstanding the
apparently small vote cast for approval.
Every resource was brought forward and
every cNpc,,icnt rcsor;cd to by those VIII" OPP
posed the law to influence voters.
|, was IA remarkable fact that some of our
most prominent and influential citizens who
had all along favored the law suddenly flop
ped over on the day Of election ana worked
against il.
We are informed that letters were sen, here
on the eve of the election from Gov. Potts,
in relation to the removal Of the Capital, and
that the Governor made certain promises
therein to the effect that Bozeman would be
benefited by voting against removal. &c.
We were surprised to hear of this particlpa-
ton of the Governor in u matter where the
dictates Of dclicacy and honor should have
caused him to remain quiet. 1t is possible
that these promises. whatever they were. had
something to do with the action OF those a.
ludei 20 above When the Governor was
here some weeks ago. il was currently re-
port,sl that he intended to locate in Bozeman
ON his return from the East, and we arc not
certain but tina, his location here was made
conditional on the Capital remaining ut \ir-
ginia. That and possibly more might have
been reiterated in the letters. but we trust that
it is not so. and that the Governor has kept
aloof from any participation III this matter
at ALL
We know of many reasons that tended to
make the vote for removal small in this
county, which it is unnecessary for US to
state. now that tho thing is over and Helena
has secured the Capital, Notwithstanding the
suicidal policy of anna jOrity OF our people
in opposing ii, but we cannot let the occasion
pass without expressing some feeling IN the
matter.
| Local issues 'were coupled with the Capital
| question by those who opposed lis removal,
and many voters were influenced in this man
ncr. Everything calculated to injurc Helena
was ,lnscrupulOusly used by the partlsans OF
Virginia, and questions having no bearing
upon the issue involved were seized upon and
perverted to secure votes. The bitter ami
mostly displayed by some OF the more zeal
Gus opponents of the law was astonishing.
!! and it came from men who virtually depend
upon Helena for their means of support.
They cndcavOred to convince our rural
friends that Helena had no other object III
life but to crush BOzeman and Gallatin county
Notwithstanding the fact that Helena enjoys
a liberal trade from this county. which she
Justly deserves, and that our interests are m'l.
tual and reciprocal: that the Interchangeable
laws of supply and demand requiring IN our
Territory a general depot of supplies. trade
center. where capital is necessary to anti
cipatc the varied wants of a people engaged
in. divers pursuits that Helena is rs neces-
sary to G:l!latin county rs st. Louis or Chi
cayo is to the Northwestern States, and that
Galla,;n is as necessary to Helena as any ot
tho States mentioned to the above trade cen
ters: and the incontrovertible fact that in
whatever country people abide a metropolis
is the natural result of life, these bigOtcd,
self-constitutcd champions Of political econ
omy cntleavOred to make voters believe 1t
was to the interest of Helena to cripple BOze-
man and this county, and that she never lost
an opportunity in doing so; that Helena was
responsible for the failure of the Yellowstone
Expedition, &C., sc. Any reasonable, sensi-
bic man knows that the relations OF this
county to Helena are such that it is of the
| most vital interest to the commercial prosper
ity of the latter that our people should be sue
cessful in whatever enterprise they under
take, and that whenever adversely Ovcrtakes
us, her prosperity is thereby checked to no
inconsidcrable extent.
The Republicans were inactive and the
Peoples Party split among themselves, which
gave to the Democracy an easy victory.