The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-10-19
eUR COUNTY TICKET.

Of late popular attention has been so en-
tirely occupied with the national campaign
that it has almost seemed as If our county
election were to be allowed to go by default.
So great has been the interest taken in Gar
fields or in Hancock's chances supposed to
be indicated by the misleading October cleo
tions, that we have been losing sight of the To-
cal affairs in which we are much more vitality
interested than we are in the choice of the
chief magistrate of the nation. The state
ment may not be very flattering when inter
pFeted with reference to the position we oc-
cupy and the influence we WELD in national
affairs, but, nevertheless, it is unquestionably
true the people of Deer Lodge county have
more at stake in the election of a suitable
person to represent Montana in congress and
in the election of an honest and efficient
corps OF county officers than they have in the
choice of President of the United States
Whether Hancock or Garfield be elected will
make but very little difference in the admin
i~stratien of our local affairs. The personnel
OF the offices filled by federal appointment
would be changed, but methods of admins
tration would probably remain the same. At
all events there would be no such change as
would bring about a depreciation of the coun-
ty bonds, or a want Of confidence in the ad-
ministration of the law-evils which we can
very easily bring upon ourselves, together
with the burden of crushing taxation, by fl
ling the more important of our county offices
with men undeserving of public confidence.
For instance, take the office of sheriff. The
Lou P. Smith, a gentleman who has filled the
Office of deputy sheriff for the past four years.
During the period of Mr.. McAn6rew's incum-
bency as sheriff, and Mr.. Smith as deputy,
there has never been so much al the hint of
abuses of any description in the performance
of duties pertaining to the sheriff's office.
Those duties have been performed without
fear and without favor; and if, in
one or two instances, their execution has
been followed by a little temporary
irritation it was because those officers pre-
ferred the conscientious discharge Of their
duty to the purchase of personal popularity
by disregarding the letter of the law. This
faithful discharge Of duty has exerted its log
ical effect, which has been to inspire in the
minds of all a feeling Of profound confidence
in the honest and efficient administration of
all duties connected, with the office of the
Deer Lodge county sheriff. No matter how
important has been the suit at issue in the
courts, 40 matter how valuable the prize at
stake there has never been a suspicion of
such a thing as a packed jury, and litigants
have carried their cases into court supremacy
confident of fair play so far as the sheriff was
concerned. And this confidence in the hon
esty of our officials is Of the very first import
ance, for it is altogether owing to its influ-
ence that the organized legal tribunal takes
precedence of the court of Judge Lynch in
the settlement Of disputes. If Mr.. Smith be
elected sheriff Of Deer Lodge county he will
possess in the future the respect and conf
dence which he has so fairly deserved in the
past and in the great mining suits sure to
arise at Butte the p~erplexing uncertainties of
the law will not present themselves to the
mind of the litigant aggravated by the fear
that a bribed sheriff has so manipulated mat
tiers as practically to decide the case previous
to its appearance before the courts. Consid-
~erations such as the foregoing should claim
attention from the voters in the election of
two weeks hence. III making selection for
an office so important and so responsible as
that of sheriff of Deer Lodge county tax
paying voters may we'll ask themselves if the
dictates of ordinary business prudence sug-
gest to them the choice of an officer already
tried and proved to be honest, impartial and
capable. or of a new and unlried man con-
corning whose official career all is conjecture
and uncertainty.
In the county treasurer we have another
officer in whose selection we can not exercise
too much care. The democratic nominee,
Mr.. Thos. H. Irvine, can not be recommend
ed in terms too favorable as a person in every
way competent and suitable for the Office.
Possessing all the clerical ability required in
the treasurer's Office, Mr.. Irvine is also the
happy possessor of a reputation for honesty
and fair dealing above the suspicion of re-
proach. Further than this, he has passed the
ambitious era of life and has reached the age
in which caution strongly asserts itself in
everything, but more particularly in none
tary transactions. Owing to this fact we NAV
be perfectly confident that in Mr.. lrvine's keep
ing the county funds would not be exposed
to the danger of being employed in any very
promising "dead sure" speculation whose
promise would contain nothing but success,
but whose result would lead only to failure
and ruin. Besides this, we must remember
that IN the past Mr.. Irvine has rendered his
party important servlces-selyices 70. which
the party should now make someihinr IF NJ,