The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-10-26

majority but whispers4yswere seen
circulated to The effect that 1--WE hove
not yet heard from til. outsids.r
The result was therefore In doubt but . re-
publican now living on the Gallatin river,
can tell you sehy It was in doubt. He will
tell you that he was sent to bring in 1000.
votes from Fort Union. He will further tell
you that he made q ~pretensecf going to Fort
Union and that be camped for several days ON
the Marias 1t he end Of which time he
he returned with the votes. Of course San
ders was ignorant of what was going on.
At that time Edgerton's power was absolute.
He was the Returning board Of Montana, and
had ! Louisiana education In the business.
The election returns had to be certified to
him. 1t soon became whispered that Fort
Union had gone repubhcan-had gwen San
ders 1000 majority and that Edgerton had
duly accepted the returns as being correct
Sanders made ready to go to Washington.
Of course he was blissfully ignorant of the
means by which he received his majority. |
To James Tufts and Malt Davis, who were
defeated for the legislatur ire before the Fort /
Union returns were received, Sanders said :
'.You can take your seats if you have the
necessary courage" What need of courage
If they were honestly elected! But
Davis and TUFTS were honest men,
spurned Sanders and his majority, and
acknowledged themselves badly defeated.
Blu a halt had to be called some time. Ed
g~erton's position was very ambiguous. He
lived at Bannack. The people had just taken
power into their own hands by the organize
ton of secret societies, which some of you
will recollect. Well, the governor one night
ate a very hearty supper and, contrary to the
laws Of health, soon after retired to his couch,
there to enjoy that calm repose which a clear
conscience Away insures. But his food didn't
set we'll on his stomach and he had unpleas-
ant dreams. Visions of Henry Plummer aud
Buck Stinson fitted before his eyes as they
swung too and fro OH the gallows at Virginia
City; and his heated Imagination led him to
suppose that he could hear the tramp,
tramp, tramp of the secret order
which instead of advancing to the capture Of
notorious thieves aud robbers, with which
the country was then infested, seemed to be
nearing his own door. They seemed to en-
ter and in his dream they appeared to hold
threatening converse withh him. In an agony OF
apprehension he awoke. He realized it was
all a dream, but all the same he dressed with
out unnecessary delay and wrote out q certi-
ficate of election for McLane.
ne o,,r Co,nj>ro o,,nr Luoxv opvk1inu
about il. Now, my fellow citizens, said Mr..
Word, in substance, l will never vote
for q man who will not regard the sacred
rights of the people and who attempts by
fraud to occupy an Office to which another il
rightfully elected. That is why l cannotv vote
for Sanders and that Is why you will not sup
port him, for you must recollect that Gov
Edgerton was simply his man Friday.
> Sanders charges a ainst M~aginnis that hi
owns only an Sx10 house in the Territory, t.
which l beg to reply that this house stands il
Maginnis' own name and was not turned owe
! to his wife in order 10 defraud his creditors
But there is another little point in Sanders
history to which I would call your attention
In 1855 the legislature was republican, mad
! so through the connivance aud fraud of Ed
gerton. That legislature passed a law, a
: some of you we'll remember, increasing tn
government salaries of the judges by $3.50
: per year each, and Of the governor himself Q
: $1,000 per year. About 1866 Gen. Meaghe
D called an extra session and repealed the la,
r imposing this unnecessary burden on tn
people, and soon after Sanders went to Wasl
lngton and procured the annulment Of Il,
, repeating law. He publicly boosted. OH hi
d return, of his achievement, and SCENE
o to glory in having saddled the peopl
b of the territory with their old burden!
o The great book of Montana's indebtedness hu
grown out Of the political chicanery Al
u schening of Sanders and his plant tool E.
gerton, and now Sanders has the monuments
cheek to come before you and demand you
g votes that he may air his rhetoric in congres
aud ridiculc you for your credulity in SUI
porting him. Democrats, hunt up these ma
6 yourselves and your censclences and vote fc
q man who you have every reason to b
lieve is the repository of all the known mor'
and political vices.
J. Mr.. Word next directed his attention to Il
corrupt press Of the Territory. Of course
don't say that Mr., Sanders through any of b
holy disciples would make an effort to boo
himself up in the estimation Of the public +
paid newspaper a lvertising; but l have In m
hand a letter received some time ago by NJ
Maginnis, who forwarded the same TO III
with these words endorsed thereon:
10 81 do not wisl, to interfere will, your maj