The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-08-03
IN REPLY 10 oua CRITICs.

on the delegateship, lately appearing in the
cultivatins the private 6 boom " or advancing
? the interests of any favorite we may have in
vier for the position of delegate to congress
We have no ~favorite. Throughout these ar
ticles We have carefully ahstained from Civ
ing undue prominence to the claims Of any OF
the gentlemen whose names have been men-
toned in connection with the democratic
nomination; and so far is the MINER from
having a candidate in mind whose claims it
intends to urge" that this is precisely the
thing above all others we are resolved not to
do. 1t is the duty of the territorial conven-
ton to name the party nominee, and this task
may very well be left to it without any Off
ciuus advice or dictatlon on the part of the
press. We have already expressed our inten-
ton to 5 pport the nominee of the cohven
ton, a pledge, by the way, rather superluous
as comm. from a party paper; but when
once made, it should suffice. We shall be
careful, moreover, not to take such position
with respect to any of the probable candidates
as might possibly have the effect of introduc-
ing cor6eau a la mode de Chicago into the
editorial bill of fare following the September
decision Of our territorial convention.
However, if a party paper cannot properly
advise Or dictate, it can by all means ararn,
and in the presence of unmistakable and i'm
minent duty it is its duty to raise strong and
clear the voice of warning. This is what Ne
have lately been doing. Believing sincerely
that on the national arena a democratic ad-
ministration will succeed that of Mr.. Hayes,
We consider the danger of republican success
in our local campaign of this fall as the threat
of the greatest misfortune that could possibly
hefall Montana. To think that We have been
faithful to our democracy through long years
of hostility on the part of a republican ma
tisnal administration only to falter and fall
by the wayside now that the goal is plsinly
within sight; now that the reward for our
faithfulness is almost within our grasp 10
enough to inspire every well wisher of Mon,
tana with feelings of tie ~Iiveliest alarm.
And it is precisely by this danger we are to
confronted if Major Maginnis be renominat-
ed for 4 fifth term. We are not influenced in
the ~taintest degree by anything resembling
personal feeling. either against Major Magin-
mis- or in favor of any one of the gentlemen
who have been mentioned in connection with
the delegateship. We have but one object in
vlew--to secure a democratic victory and to
that end but one wish we would have graft
tied-to see the strongest man nominated;
but We cannot impress it too strongly upon
the minds of our readers that that man is not
Major MGGinnis. Stationed as we are at the
centre of population of the most populous
county in the territory, our opportunities of
observation are unusually good, and we leave
to any candid, unparalleled on-looker to de-
eide whether or not the statements based
upon those observations are truthful or the
reverse. What We have already said may be
said oyer again. The people clamor fer a
change. They are tired of the long departure
from the dem" cratic doctrine of rotation; tired
of the egotistic selfishnsss betrayed in graspins
again and again at the highest Office in the
gift of the people, to the utter ignoring of the
merits of other and not less worthy members
OF the party, and above all. they are tired of
the " machine" Published as it is beneath
the ve-y shadow of that perfection of me
chanical contrivance, the Independent sees tit
to ignore the existence Of the "machiEen
never SO much as by word or hint intimating
that any undue influence is ever or in any
manner brought to bear to turn the popular
choice in favor of the machine candidate.
But we would remind the Independent thai
for some lime subsequent to its removal it
was published IN a democratic county, where
as Lewis & Clark is now admittedly republic
can, thanks to the beneficient influence of
the machine. Well, the territory entire is
just now in imminent danger of making a
similar change; and it will not do the least
good to close our eyes to this danger. In
Deer Lodge the opposition is organized. This
great county is ALREADY lost to Major Magin-
mis-. but elsewhere the opposition though pro-
nounced, is said be apathetic, for want of a
leader. Shrewd politicians are united in the
opinion that 1t Is only necessary for some
prominent democrat to be. announced as
a candidate aud thus serve as a leader, about
whom the opposition can rally in order to
carry the nomination without q shadow of
doubt. But no candidate shows himself.
Time wears apace, and'while the opposition
is disunited and unorganized the Maginnis
forces are actively at work in every county in
the territory. Their organization discipline
and work, aided by the sinews of war SO
literally supplied by the machine may pos.
sibly force their candidate to a nomination,
but We don't believe he can possibly be
elected. There will be no split, no bolt; bu
if an assurance Of the same Intention repeated
over and over again by some of the staunch
est and most reliable members of the party
,<n,. anysb,.,. tI.n AF~-..-. ..It E-.T =.