The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-11-02
WHOM WILL YoU CHOOSE.

The days are rapidly passing away when
intrigue and trickery can procure oftlclal po-
sitions of honor or trust at the hands of the
people of Montana. There was a time in its
early history when these means were often
resorted to, by inscriptions politicians, to
set at defiance the popular will aid thus by
"ways that are dark and tricks that are VAIN
foist themselves upon the people. Among
the many instances of corrupt practices in
this direction that we now notice is one,
which, for its brazen assurance and utter dis
regard of law and of the dictates of common
honesty, appeals directly to that sense of JUS
tice and fair play entertained by the people
of Montana. We refer to Col. Sanders at
tempt to steal the delegatesEip at the time he
was running against Col. McLane, the demo-
craft: nominee. McIane was elected by
about 1900 majority, but Sanders keen eye
saw a way to overcome that slight impede
ment to a seat in congress. There was, at
that time, situated at the mouth of the Vel
lowstone river a military reservation Oh which
was built Fort Union. The old place con-
tanned a few soldiers and the usual compile
ment of traders, hunters, trappers and hang
ers-on, the latter principally half-breeds. To
the average reader it would not seem possible
That a couple of thousand legal votes could
be cast at such a place, yet such appears to be
the case, If We are to believe the returns GER
tilted to to Gov. Edgerton, Sanders uncle.
But the most singular part of the whole mat
ter is that all the votes were cast for Wilbur
F. Sanders for delegate to congress. These
fraudulent returns gave Sanders 200 majority
over his competitor, and 'uncle Edgerton'
would have issued a certificate of election to
his promising nephew and sent him rejoicing
on his way to Washington had it not been
for the opporaune interposition of a class of
men who were, about that time, in the habit
of pulling on the right end of a rope in the
necktie matinees that were in those days CIV
Ell for the benefit of the numerous thieving
gentry with which this country was infested.
However, McLane went to congress and San-
ders staid at home.
Now We entertain no personal lll-feeling
against that gentleman, OH the contrary we
rather like Sanders fer his genial, social quail
tiles, but unfortunately for him and for his
chances of success in the present canvass, he
has evidently been educated in a political
school whose prime tenet is that everything
is fair in politics. Judging from his past po-
litical record he proves that he was an atten-
tive scholar ana imbibed the full strength of
its leading dogma. she cannot be trusted
IS the whispered observation made by scores
of his party associates who are going to
''chop'' on him and vote for Major Maginnis.
They are going to do this in self protection.
They reason that their interests in Montana
ire of greater moment to them than the sue
lold that they Can trust Maginn,s, but are
about Sanders. They know that
1aginnis has proved a faithful representative
f our interests. They don't know but
nat Sander would switch off on The
he Of his own personal aegrandizeme mt
nd leave the interests of the Ter
to take care of themselves. They
now that Major Maglnnis is influential, hon
red and respected at Washington. They fear
nat Sanders political record would antago-
lie honorable men and thus destroy his inlu-
nee to do good if he were elected. Taking
IL these facts into consideration, the conserv-
tive republicans propose to ignore party ties
md quietly vote for Major Maginnis. The
ecord of Sanders rises up in judgment
him. 1t is not hard to predict whom
he people will choose for their delegate to