The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-07-13
PERPETUAL DELEGATESHIP.

t~
have considered it advisable to confer with
the leading democrats Of the vicinity to learn
if our views were generally shared in. We
did not entertain any very serious doubts Oh
the subject; still We were reluctant to take
the responsibility of suggesting a new depart
ure in the time-worn customs of the Montana
democracy without having first secured for
such a step the approval of those in whose
Judgment we have the most, implicit confid-
ence. Accordingly we have laid the matter
before several of the more prominent demo-
Gratis, and asked their opinion thereon. The
replies were such as we expected; for, to any
one possessing the least percept OH it has long
been an open secret that our departure from
the true democratic doctrine of rotation in
office, through the manner in which we have
same person the highest office in the gift of
the territory, has long been a cause vt dlssat-
isfaction. Our views already advanced are
heartily approved; and more than this, We
have the explicit sanction of prominent dem
ocrats for the advanced position we are about
to take. We wish it understood, then, that
on the present occasion We are not merely
presenting our own views. The following
embraces the suggestions of the prominent
democrats of the most populous county of
Montana, and as such we hope our readers
will give it their most mature consideration
Without entering into unnecessary minute
ness of detail in the way OF explaining that
dissatisfaction, we are content to begin with
the assertion that great and increasing dissat-
l~sfaction is felt by a large and influential sec
ton of our party at the perpetuity with which
VT have managed to invest our delegates
hold on office. With all the causes Of this
discomfort it is not, we repeat, our intention
to deal. That it exists the reader can very
readily satisfy himself, if he entertains any
doubt on the subject. To-day it will be our
task to refer to only one Of those causes; the
one whose removal will preserve harmony in
the party and render certain our victory in
consists simply I'M this: 1t is felt, whether
rightly or wrongly We do not undertake TO
say, that the democratic party of Montana has
been controlled by a '. machine" manipulated
in the interest Of Major Maginnis, and that
the majorities delivered to him in our terri
torial conventions are the work of that ma
chlue, instead of being, as pretended, the
spontaneous expression of the peoples choice.
Each county has its candidate, whom it would
greatly prefer to Maginnis; but the uncer-
. :., 81 H., "r>D, : - Iva ripnn eI,r1 % ~
date outside his own county has hitherto pre-
vented the nomination of the ~favorite, and
, caused the county convention to instruct in
favor of the candidate possessing the greatest
strength throughout the whole territory. In
the territorial convention, if each county del.
e.ation could be polled separately it would
give an anti-Maginnis majority; but when il
comes to the work of making the nomination
for delegate those %disunited, unorganized
separate majorities fade away before the wei
disciplined and thoroughly organized Magin.
mis- forces. Having no other name placed
formally before them, no one upon whom
they can unite, the machine candidate is pc
force accepted and the nomination conferred
again and again upon the same individual.
AS a remedy for this state Of things 1t i
proposed that the opposition become organ
ICED for a fair test of strength in the mex
Territorial convention. Then, if Major Ma
giHnis be again nominated there will be III
doubt of his being the strongest candidate il
the field, and in that case there will be N
half heartedness about the support lie vii
receive from a Jealous, harmonious party
On the other hand if the opposition shout
win fair victory in the fair nomination G
its candidate, we may feel assured that II
one would work harder than Major Maginni
himself in endeavoring to bring about tn
election of his fortunate rival. As to tn
manner Of this organization it is susgeste
that each county select from among Its ow
F citizens the person whom the county delegs
ton will be instructed to commend to th
territorial convention as a citizen worthy
the nomination to Congress. That is, pr
vided of course, the Maginnis vote in All
county does not exceed the vote Of the loc;
candidate thus selected. If it should, the
, the county delegation would of course
! Instructed for Maginnis, and, so far as tn;
1 county is concerned, the opposition ruled OH
Bus there are few counties, we apprehend, i
: which the experiment, if tried, will lead
this result. To name some of the COUNT,
and a few of the gentlemen from whom, u
2 der this system, acceptable candidates mig
8 be brought forward, we call the readers a
=, tsntion to this list: Taking Beaverhead fir:
5 that county has in Major Watson the Nest
: of Montana democracy, whose great mel