Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1878-09-26
MISSOURI IN MONTANA.
The Left Wing Of Sterling Prices Army in
the Mountains---AS Social and Political
Element---The Politics of Ter
ritory---Some of the Eminent
Missourians Now in
the West

| Especial Correspondence of the GlObe-DemOcrat]
HELENA, NJ. T., August 22.-1t is narrated
that two citizens of Montana once fell into a
discussion about the proper construction of a
sentence. AT last they agreed to refer the
question to an arbitrator. Addressing the
man selected for the purpose, one of the
parties said:
eve want you to decide question for US
but first let me ask, are you grammarian." "
mo. sir, I'm Missourlan."
The antithesis was recognized AS very
strong one.
| have repeated this incident to illustrate
the fact that the Missourians are distinct
class of society here, quite as much so as the
Germans in your city. This tact runs
through III nomenclature Sf the whole Ter
ritory A piece of fried bacon is called a
missouri trout" and a comb of contiguous
teeth is called missouri towing piece, an
insinuation that unite with you in resenting
| to any degree of indignation that you may
deem proper.
There are Missourians and Missourians.
The term is generic, and is by no means cir
| cumscribed by any mere geographical lines.
In brief, it may be said to include all South
erners residing in Montana. Then there is
what scientists would call sub-class,
''Cayuse Missourians," who are those who
come from the South, but not from either OF
the chosen trinity of States, Missouri, Ken
''long- hairs and ''short-hairs, but there is a
subtlety about this classification that l have
never been able to penetrate. Again, ones
notions of geography are outraged here by the
discovery that a man from St. Louis is not
Missourian, prSnna .tacie, though he can
| qualify himself for that distinction by prov
| ing that he served in the rebel army, shot a
| Yankee, or did something else equally meri-
| tOriOus.
THE MISSOURIANS ARE A PROMINENT,
if not a controlling element in the politics of
the Territory. The other element of the
Democratic party is the Irish. and between
these two wings it is necessary to divide the
| nominations with great precision. There is
to be an election for county officers this fall,
and at every corner one may hear the ques-
| ton discussed what places the MissOurians
shall have and what places shall be given to
| the Irish. The two factions hate each other
| pretty cordially, but as the fall approaches
! there is some Irritation between them. The
spectacle recently witnessed at this place of
two Missourians-riva candidates for Sheriff
who damn the Irish heartily about twenty
months out of twenty-four, going to the fun
eral of very popular and estimable gentle
man of Irish birth, and urging their horses
each to get ahead of the other in the process
sion, illustrates what l mean, and shows that
politics is the same game in the Territories
as in the States.
Of the two, it must be admitted that the
Irish have the more independence, and it fol-
lows that they secure the greater consldera-
a.. tn fhnIr OhQro ho
first delegate to Congress from this Territory
was one Mclean, who seems to have been
rated Missourian, though it is not clear that
he ever resided in that State. Then the Irish
rallied and nominated their candidate in the
person of Jim Kavanaugh, famous as the
possessor of one of the most appreciative
throats in the Forty-frst Congress. Jim was
only permitted to serve two terms, when the
Missourians secured the Democratic Conven-
ton. and conferred the nomination on Hon.
E. Warren Toole, formerly citizen OF st.
Joseph. The Irish resented this treatment,
and for the first and only time Montana was
represented by Republican, Hon. VIM.
Claggett, now a prominent lawyer at the
Black Hills. The next Convention was con-
trolled by the Irish, who nominated Hon.
Martin Maginnis, Democratic journalist,
who came here from Red Wing, Minn.,
after having made good record in the Union
army. Has now been elected three times,
and it is Just to say that he has been very
useful representative. In the meantime GER
tain worthy missionaries, who have at
times regarded themselves as potential Con-
gressmen Hon. Sam. Word, of Virginia
CITY, DR.. A. H. Mitchell and Hon. Thomas
Napton, of Deer Lodge, and J. P. Bruce, OF
Bozeman, have become very impatient, and
from dark alleys and remote gulches MUIR
murings of discomfort may be heard to issue.
But when Mr.. Maginnis shall have been re-
nominated-as he is certain to be, for he is
highly popular-the brave Missourians will
bow their necks to the yoke and vote the
ticket as tamely as spaniels, accepting such
Door bones as local Office here and there. or
whatever their masters may be pleased to
throw to them. Thus they will qualify
themselves to be snubbed again two years
hence, and 80 on indefinitely. On the other
hand, if by any chance, Maginnis should be
beaten in the Convention it is an understood
thing that the Irish will bolt.
THERE ARE FEW CITIZENS OF ST. LOUIS
who will not remember Hon. John How,
who was for many years leading merchant,
and for two or three years Mayor OF that
city. The war having visited overwhelming
reverses upon him, he came to Montana,
where he engaged in number of enterprises,
with but Indifferent success. Il was recently
announced that he had been appointed Indian