The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-11-12
DEER LODGE PRKcINcr AND TIE
49, FUSION TCKEf. -

weeks before the late election, but that its
workings were secret and its purposes un-
known, even to the large majority of the
people of Butte. 1t is also known that, al
though Deer Lodge precinct voted over
whelmingly against the Fusionists, they have
elected seven, and probably eight, OF the
gentlemen on the so-called Fusion, or Diyis-
ion, ticket.
The Miner claims that In electing the Flu
sion ticket Butte did no more than Deer
Lodge would have done had she the power;"
denies that there was any attempt in Butte
to accomplish anything by stealth, and
charges In effect that the people of Deer
Lodge had full and accurate knowledge Of
the purposes of the Fusionists at least three
days before the election. .s...
We deny that the vote in Deer Lodge
would have been Influenced in the slightest
degree by any question of division but for
the action Of the Fusionists at Butte; and
we assert that, although for three
days previously there had been rumors and
suspicious of fisions and conspiracies, yet
voters of Deer Lodge was based was not re-
ceived until the very day of the election.
T he claim of the Miner that there was no
attempt on the part of the Fusionists to do
anything by stealth is simply preposterous
and can hardly be candid.
Information of the Fusion, or of some
similar movement, was received here about
three days before the election, and though
not deemed conclusive or sufficient to justify
the voters of Deer Lodge in DESERVING the
banners of their respective parties, they were
alarmed and put upon inquiry. Tbencefor-
ward every effort possible was made TO fer
ret the matter out. Letters were written and
kilograms sent, and several of our
citizens, of both parties, went to Butte. But
every letter, every telegram, every personal
inquiry was met by the assurance that there
| was no fusion, no organization, no conspira-
cy, or, II there were, that the movement vas
weak and contemplate, not countenanced by
either party, condemned by all good citizens
and could effect nothing. There were few
Acknowledgements on the part Of individuals
as to what would be their personal actor n,
but uniform and sturdy denials as to any or
ganization. So late as the night before the
election one OF the leaders of the Fusionists,
In answer to q direct interrogatory from
Judge Knowles, who was then in Butte, ad-
mitted there had been some move
ment In the direction Of Fusion
bnt stated positively his belief that "the
whole thing had fallen through and would
amount TO nothing" The Fusion hand-bills,
the purpor Of which we publish in another
column, were posted and distributed. in
Butte after midnight on the morning of
the election, and when the polls were
opened Thousands of Fusion tickets were in
the hands Of the conspirators, who now, for
the first time, publicly avowed their purpose
and unsheathed their daggers. These tick
cts were headed Regular Democratic " and
Regular Republican," and were certainly
calculated and doubtless intended to deceive
honest and unsuspecting voters Of both par
ties. Copies both OF the Fusion hand-bills
and tickets are now in our possession, but we
confidently say that no citizen Of Deer
Lodge nor any citizen Of Butte, opposed to
division Of the county, ever saw or had accu-
rate knowledge or information Of either the
Fusion hand-bills or the Fusion tickets until
the day Of election. And yet the Miner says
there was no stealth! %
From the statements which we have made,
and which xra hava ,,ada ,ardadly and I'D
visedly, it should be clear that the voters Of
Deer Lodge did not have, and could not OBJ
tain accurate and positive knowledge Of the
purposes Of the Fusionists until the morning
Of election, and that but for the telegraph
line they would have remained in ignorance,
or at least in painful doubt until the polls
were closed. 1t should be equally clear, that
any Information they did receive, however
vague and unsatisfactory, was obtained in
spite Of the best efforts Of the Fusionists to
conceal their purposes and movements.
And yet the Fusion organ would have us
believe that there was no conspiracy!
We state as fact that the names on the
Fusion Legislative ticket were not certainly
known here until eleven o'clock a. m. on
election day; that the vote here was held
back as much as possible, until positive in
formation could be obtained, from both DEM
ocratic and Republican sources, OF The action
Of Butte; that when the polls closed at noon,
scarcely one-eighth OF the vote Of the precinct
had been cast, and that no considerable
scratching was done by either party up to
that time. During the dinner hour, however,
all parties became satisfied of the Fusi-
on conspiracy, its purposes and extent,
and 1t was generally agreed to make aunited
stand against 1t, and but few straight tickets
were voted Afterwards. at-.r ..maurf
The Fusicnists had proclaimed in their
hand-bills that their candidates were fully
committed to division of the county. Deer
Lodge, when fully informed and ready to act,
had no time to swap horses or TO confer with
absent candidates. She was compelled to
act immediately, and upon the theory that
the Fusionists knew their men. If mistakes
were made they are TO be regretted, but the
circumstances should be fully considered. 40
tH Though not upon the line indicated blythe
Miner, Or anywhere near Il, there are many,
even here, who favor division Of the county;
and We are not greatly surprised that ex-
treme views on the subject should TO, some
extent prevail at Butte. We hold no grfev-
ance against such, and desire TO discuss the
matter smicably with them until final and
satisfactory solution Is reached. .f.g,r., ara
But we do hope the many good men whom
we now know participated in the recent con-
spiracy are ashamed of it,. We desire to-
make no personal charges or applications,
but we do say such movements are bad.
They are grounded in deception, and breed
suspicion and distrust. They demoralize
any attempt at open and honest po-
ilitical organization. They bear the same
relation to legitimate politics that assassina-
ton does to~aa- open challenge and fair
fight. .sagH es.I-fl.H 32al
WE have adyices from Democratic sources
that Lincoln despite the name and her for
mer proud Republican record is one Of the
.AkAg,.s4 .atl~~xa NEf L.. Es.1. I -