The weekly miner., 1880-08-10
BUTTE IN THE LOCAL CAMPAIGN.

cratic circles in this neighborhood. At first
we thought of ignoring this feeling, but lately
its utterances have become so pronounced,
and, to proceed at once to the root OF the
matter, the injustice perpetrated upon the
southern end of the county in the late per-
formance of the Democratic Central commit
tee is so glaring that, while it is yet time, we
would advise the engineers OF that pretty job
to pay little attention to what Tax Payer
says; to take his warning to heart and reflect
upon it. Heretofore Butte has been singu-
Iarly and happily free from localism but
Butte is nevertheless, aware of her magnitude
and importance, and of the respect that
should lightfuly be hers. Even the best
tempered of communities are disposed to pro-
test when they find themselves crowded to
the WALL and in the apportionment lately
made this operation of crowding is so appar-
ent that the protest following it is prompt
and outspoken. Within the past two years
Butte has grown far more rapidly than any
other town of the county, not excepting
| Walkerviie, and yet Walkerville is allowed
| in proportion to its last vote representa-
| ton almost double that Of Butte. The plea
| is that Walkerville has grown so FAST" but
| that's too thin. The real explanation OF the
| matter is that Butte has lately revealed 4
strongly pronounced auti-MasinniS senti-
| ment; while the management OF the late
| committee was an open and palpable betrayal
of the people TO the Maginnis crowd, play
ing into the hands of the machine; and for
no other purpose could the chairman's priyi-
lege of making appointments to fill vacancies
have been made use Of as it was. The CEN
sus gives Deer Lodge county a population OF
something less than nine thousand. OF this,
the southern half OF the county gives five
thousand or over, and yet, by slillful manip-
uatio!l, as the omission of such precincts as
Soap Gulch and Camp Creek, each contain
ing about forty voters, but conveniently fol-
gotten and overlooked by the committee
the under apportionment Of Butte and the
assignment Of delegate to every locality i'll
which four voters could De scIaped together
in the northern half OF the c0unty-by such
manipulation the southern and more popil-
lOus half Of the county will go into conven-
ton heavily outvoted; aud the little sclf-ap
pointed clique whose delight it is to run
things, will have matters practically their own
way. But we would kindly advise those gen-
tlemen to 60 a little slow and mind what they
are about. Party ties sit rather lightly in
county politics. They will not stand for
single moment against the antagoniSms Of
l;o,,, ,lo,,
er such antagonisms are to be aroused or not
will depend altogether upon the developments
made in convention. The delegations from
the southern end Of the county will enter
convention with the determination that their
rights shall be allowed, their claims respect
ed; then, if the majority artifcially con-
structed by the late committee choose to
carry matters with a high hand they will
have only themselves TO blame for what may
follow, When once the ticket is made up we
shall have to accept it and make the best We
can of it; but before it is too late we take oc-
cason to inform all whom it may concern
that the Butte democrats are not in the humor
to stand much buldozinS just now; and
that it will not be safe to indulge in any pas
time of that kind. In due time Buttes mod
est demands will be made known, and it will
be best to give them a respectful c0nsidera-
ton.
Another matter touched upon by Tax Payer
is the fact that tho democratic party of Deer
Lodge county is provided with a we'll nigh
standing corps Of oliite seekers. Term aft er
term the same old names have been presented
until it begins to look as if certain individu-
ais considered the offices IN the gift OF the
democracy as the personal property of a lit
tie ring. from one to another of whose men,
bers the fat offices are to be handed about
according to an arrangement made among
themselves. But this is d mistake. If a gen-
tleman happened to engineera bull train into
Montana in '63, or if he was 50 unfortunate
as to sustain family losses in Gibbons early
morning attack at the battle of the Big Hole,
those distinctions, though highly important
in themselves, scarcely constitute d life lease
on office. \ new deal is called for. Rota-
ton in office is the doctrine in obedience to
which it is felt that even one party should
give way to another after having been in
power for for certain length Of time. Gen.
Grants defeat at Chicago was the peopl S
protest az inst the policy of keeping one
man, or one set of men in power for too long
term. The protest against the perpetual
nature of Maginnis' candidacy forms the
strongest objection to his nomination for a
fifth term. The demo cratic party of Deer
Lodge county has lost ground of late years
owing to the listless apathy, the want of in,
tersst in matters relating to the party's vel
fare; and this apathy is occasioned by the
vicious practice we have fallen into of having
a standing slate of chronic candidates. +
we would infuse new lite into the party: i