The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-11-26
THE DIVISION TREACHERY.


wars and campaigns is rarely published, if at
all, until long after the issues are determine
cd. Yet il is generally interesting history.
The wriggling and skirmishing of the Butte
fusion reneeades TO cxhoncrate themselves
through their organ, the Miner, from the
odium att aching 10 their political treaehery,
and TO justify it on the grounds that Deer
Lodge people knew of the systematic
"chuck " contemplated by the Butte fusion
lists, and that therefore IL was justifiable,
call for il now. To establish this IT
publishes certain alleged conversations be-
tween Butte and Deer Lodge men in Butte
preceding the election. Now, while the law
of self-dcfensc is recognized as SUPERIOR ana
Deer Lodge Democrats and Republicans were
under il justified in doing anything and eV-
erything necessary to resist and defeat the
political treachery inaugurated and executed
at Butte, we propose to show from Republi- |
can and Democratic authority that the decep- |
ton and treachery pcrpetrated at Butte was
systematic and concerted movement by
certain parties to betray and sacrifice the po-
ltical candidates in the county to subserve
merely local purposes that although Deer
I odpe people had an intimation OF it some
three DAYS preceding election and would
have exposed the scheme to the county, ulat
no certain information was obtained; that
the deception was aggravated by assurances
that il was dscountenanced by reputable
men Of both parties and had been apahdoh-
ed, and that subsequently bogus tickets
headed "Democrat and "Republican,"
containing only the names Of fusion Legs
latiye candidates who were announced iii
posters as being committed to county diVis-
ion, were printed, circulated and voted III
! Butte, and that it was not until after eleven
o'clock on election day that the fact became
certainly known in Deer Lodge. 1t does not
helm the fusionists to now regret they did
not make an open fight. Had they done SO
In the conventions we might have opposed
but not censurcd them. 1t is not the op-
iects that were sought, but the dishonest and
concerted methods by which sought, that are
reprehensible, and that will ever be
faint on the political character OF those en-
, gagged in it. This distinction we have made
, from the first. 1t is the political treachery
, sanctioned and defended by the Miner that
I is odious to all fair-mnded men. And now
h for some points in the history OF the cleo
n ton.
=, If the citizens of Deer Lodge did not know
" that there would be an effort mace mere t'
y beat some Of the gentlemen on the Leglsla
q tive ticket who were known TO be opposes
20 a division of the county, it was OWING u
II the silence of SEINE of the prominent ci''%eiN
d of that town. A., ala,
On Saturday evening previous to the cleo
ton, Mr.. Mayhew met resident oi t b. @s ,,
:, tleman into back room and asked MN VIVA
would be done in relation TO voting Iusi .,,
e ticket He was told that 1t would DE PREV.
N generally voted. Mr.. Mayhem tired 10 uas
suade the gentleman from such a course, an'
e when he found he could not he left MIN, a
I the gentleman thought, rather angrlly.-h'
J. Tier.
G. Mr.. MAYHEM denies recollection oil an
such interview In the speech he made Una
- evening in Loeber's Hall he advocated IN
j. election of the Democratic candidates 10
W the Legislature, stating that all the people
t. Deer Lodge favored giving Butte one or wv
terms of court, and that if the people
as Butte desired division of the county an
IL fair and equitable lines were drawn, he ID
u iieved there would be no serious oppositioi
10 On the Sunday or Monday preceding I'll
ID election Mr.. Mayhem met Mr.. John +. TO
bis. and in mentioning the fusion ticket pr
L. ject Mr. Forbis gdre Mr.. Mayhem to uade
g. stand such a Increment had been on foot, o.
,it that Il had fallen through. I've also state
PC practically, tbs. same thing to Judge knowl
The next conversation that we are able Z
report occurred on Saturday morniDgp rece
er ing the election, between DIR. Mitchell and
en- prominent citizen of this city. Wegive IL
:, | reported: tsDr Mitchell asked me 10 see
IL Fusion ticket. told him there. was mol
Sc that knew Of He asked me If there vi
a. not an effort being made TO defeat him al
ch several others. l told him there was, al
re- that would be frank with him; that v
., | wanted Butte men in order to have the cou
" ty divided. / asked him If he was in favor
division. He said he was not ! asked III
If he was willing to vote for bill to subj
fe- the question TO the voters Of the county. L
in said he was not. And then told him y
would try TO defeat him. / asked him WI
by was his Informant in relation to the Fusi'
The ticket. He said no one in particular, that
a, was common talk upon the streets. He as
'h- ed me If there was an organization Il TO
ma him there was none to my knowledge" :
MI On Sunday evening DIR. Mitchell and
- | Humber came into Mathews business hotr
lie They found eight or ten persons there, 2
mt the county division question was fuly q
I'd. cussed Both gentlemen were gwen 10 =
Ii derstand by the other gentlemen that tn
TEL would not receive the votes OF anyone pr
r ent unless they announced themselves IN
vor Of division. Both agreed TO vote Tor
-. bill dividing the county, with w arm Sprli
ho' creek as the dividing line, If the bill were
ms be submitted to the people Of Deer Lod
tho, county On Monday Mr.. Humber was .
a., nh hnI
To and that his name had been left OFF. He $;
ain he was glad of it, that he wanted to be elect
on a ID democratic ticket or not at al.-Hp
- DIR. Mitchell says Of the above CONVEX
=, tions that he did say that if petitioped by
-. majority of the people of the county s.
go would vote for a reasonable bill to diyi
49, the county, provided; it should contain
,,,, clause submitting the bill to the ratifcat
Inn. of the voters Of the county. nr ,. u'ua
-" Mr.. Humber says he merely stated in
- conversation that II he was elected and a
orr for division came up he would give it
lsly consideration, and he thought the lo'
leir country people would not object to ahigh
Of line. On the night preceding the elect
EST he conversed with Mr.. Forbis on the gu
r to ton of Fusion tickets, and the ttersaid :
tro- " he was sorry for was that some - ~ :
on "hound had tipped their hand before
nth 'amorning of the election agtag a.....g
We Thus it viii be seen from Democr'
hat source that such aproject had been in
lop- temptation; that the Fusionists i, v v
. rs fsony" their stealthy attempt had .
ists. discovered and that Deer Lodge candidi
al were given to understand, that the sche
. had been abandoned. The Miner says
g Fusion tickets were printed after this, |
efm IL is known the posters were put up In n Bs
sla- after. u O'Clock on the, night preceding
du- election and yet it is claimed to have b
lade fair action, in which there was no "steal'
the and that prominent citizens Of Deer Lo'
{ is /" knew it was contemplated and would
lem "carried out" sv-g, ,.s.-g..7 ~. TIL. .s
that } 1t is true rumors had reached here of
atom contemplated party betrayal, and it
ient partly with view to asceltaining If it
-. n etatsx =