The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-07-15

pense with the did Of outside capital.
-
on DIvEns THINGS.
Just - We were going to press last week
q notice was handed In to the effect that the
contract for the new jail building At neer
Lodge had been let to a firm Of builders and
contractors Of this city. The letting of the
contract settles the matter we suppose, but
perhaps the organ or the County Commits
sioners will be. SO kind as to inform us to the
use to be made Of that building after Deer
Lodge will have ceased to bethe county seat.
And that the county seat will be removed re-
quires no prophet to foresee. At present 1t is
centrally situated neither with regard to geo
graphical position nor the distribution of
population; and besides is located at q town.
pretty and attractive as we acknowledge il to
be, whose leading men are not fair RI presen-
tatives Of the public opinion of this county.
But this subject may well be dismissed for
the present. }{F
We were right in supposing that the New
North West would prove utterly unequal to
the task Of speaking definitely one way or
the other, of being fish, flesh, fowl or good
red herring, on the question Of building a Jail
at Butte. To discuss such a subject would
have required q little o~ut-spokenness, a little
manly candor, qualities with which our gush-
ing contemporary is not particularly endowed,
and accordingly its columns may be searched
through and through without the finding Of
such as a hint that the propriety of building
a Jail at Butte instead of at Deer Lodge was
ever even thought Of. Verify! Great is the
backbone of the North West. To the manly,
.fair-dealing, truthful people of Montana we
commend the Journal that has not the cour-
age to attempt to pronounce an opinion ofits
own; but instead, either shirkssthe question
altogether or balances carefully on the fence
until it sees which way the current of popu-
lar sentiment is running, and then descends
gracefully on the stronger side. Witness its
course on exemption as a case in point. Our
advice Of last week respecting personal jour
nalism is respectfully declined" and the
North Vest proceeds to repeat its old offence
against the canons of good taste by a column
of thinly-veiled personal vituperation. Very
we'll; if the North Vest chooses to wallow in
mire of that kind it may wallow to its hearts
content, but we shall not follow its example by
replying in kind. But we beg to assure our
cotem that tile deterioration so painfully evi-
dent when we remember its high standard of
only few years ago, is quite sufficiently
marked without being aggravated by indul-
gence in personalities. It is going down hill
fast enough without taking a header into the
mire at the foot. 3"
10 one charge made against this paper we
will reply. The MINER is accused of having
"taken Deer Lodgers to task during the
meeting Of the Legislature in the months of
January and February last for venturing to
express an opinion in opposition to the
wishes Of the editor{s) above mentioned. We
hope the wit contained in the brilliant use of
the parenthesis will be duly observed-but in
reply. What we said last winter was, exactly
this. GAS for Deer Lodge, she only pursued
her old-time policy of standing squarely OPP
pose to anything resembling progress" Well,
how is this charge supported by the facts of
to-day, judging the town by the actions of her
representative men? The exemption bill
introduced by Forbis ceases to be operative
as soon as its conditions are not complied
with. If exemption is conferred by this bill
1t is conferred on a line running through
Deer Lodge valley and passing within half a
mile Of Deer Lodge city. The bill opens up
our principal agricultural valley with the
greatest avenue Of trade and travel to be en-
joyed in inland localities. It promises to
treple the price of farming land in the coun-
ty; 1t promises to supply Deer Lodge with
the inestimable benefit of railway communi-
cation, the very first favor promised that town
since the grab-all spirit of its merchants sent
their trade elsewhere and started their CITY
down hill. The people understand and value
those advantages. The press of the county
is happily unanimous in support of this bill
railroad meetings are almost unanimous in
it,, favor; crowds assemble to the places
where petitions urging lis adoption are to be
signed-all this 10 not 10 be disputed, yet
wlat do we see? Why, in the Legislature Of
the eight members sent from this county
three were returned from Deer Lodge. and
ofsthose three Deer Lodge city members two
are still fighting tooth and toe-nail against
the measure VI such vital importance to the
welfare Of this county. Not only do they
fight it but they work with the ~fllibusters
who resort to the dishonorable expedient of
"siiding out Of own that the Council may
be lett without q quorum" And those are
representative Deer Lodgers. Does this look
anything like g standing sqarely opposed to
anything resembling progress ?" Tell us any
thing you choose our ~credulity is almost un-
limited, but do not undertake to convince us
hat the average Deer Lodge politician would