The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-11-01
a COVERT THREAT AND AN OPEN
BID.

Col. Voolfolk at R~adersburg, and re-
ported for the Independent by Voolfolk
himself, the following words:
He knew that Maginnis had another
term 70 serve i'll Congress till the 4th If
next March, whether elected again or
NOT. and that important legislation for
fine Northern Pacific was D tnding he
fore that body. This corporation. ON
seuuently, could not afford to take ana
active stand against Maginnis, and all
the democratic party wanted Was hands
off,
If these words do not contain z covert
threat, then We cannot read tile English
Language Alright. He says in substance,
and give5 tho railroad due notice, that ii
they DO not stand in with Maginnis he
would use ali The influence he possessed
arain,t them when this important leg
i~slation" coEacs up before congress.
There Is another thing to be found in
this paragraph which deserves attention.
He says Ill the democratic party wanted
WAS hands off, These are strange
words to be used by the same man who
stood up in she Butte convention and
gave rs the principal reason why Ma
rinnis should he nominated above all
Others thst he was the only man who
could control the 5000 railroad votes
along the line Of the Northern Pacific.
And now, having succeeded by his spe-
cious arguments then in forcing the
nomination Of the Minnesota man for a
slxth term, aaG being convinced in his
own mind that he made claims then
which he cannot substantiate, he begs
the railroad corporation TO keep their
hands off. Why does he make this plea.
Because he knows that the railroad
company, while not hostile to Maginnis,
will not Lend their influence to olecs
him because he knows that the major
ity Of the construction hands would
vote the republican, ticket if let alone,
and he wants the company to keep thei
ewes closed ard their hands off SO that
Wilder, Broadwater and others may
have a chance TO 60 in and buy up the
contractors along the line Of the road, as
they did two years ago. he wants them
to keep their hands Off while the sa'ne
TASTES are pursued by these contractors
as were pursued by Broadwater at the
Coal Banks at the last election when he
threatened TO and did discharge men IN
his employ who voted against Maginnis
or Hesly.
There is yo& another thing IN Wool
folks speech which we wish to call at
: tention 70 thls morning. He sald that
mo r1ar could be q democrat and ask
the aid Of q great corporation to sttde the
Z freeiosn Of the ballot" And yet Mr..
Voolfolk, in his w paper, not long
ago, printed these words: we claim
the support of the Northern Pacific fo1
Maglnnis i'm view Of past favors received
at his hands. We ask 1t, also, IL View
of favors yet to be rendered" Is not
this asking the aid of a great corpora
ton to stiGe thc freedom Of the ballot
Were not these words an open bid FOL
the help OF the railroad corporation II
the election Of the sixth termer? Were
they not a distinct promise on the par
Of tho Magsnnis managers that If th'
railroad would help Maginnis he Woule
use all bis Influence TO secure any legis
lation they might seek? The politica
bosses, realizing that theircase Is getting
desperate, kneel at the feet of a "grea
corporation and cry, Save me, or per
ish!" "AsG ask its aid fe 0iew Of Ger
p4ces set 10 be reederGd.n Could q plain
er case Of attempted bargain and sale 3
made out tnan this? And are the pee
pie OF Montana willing or ready to b
delivered ever, body and soul, to
great corporation" by 6 few unscrupu
lous men who care nothing for the ulti
mate future OF the country SO long a
their w selfah ends are subserved.
The voters Of Montana would do wei
to consider all these things, and to r.
member WooIfolk's w assertion tbs
mo ma could be d democrat and asI
the aid Of q great corporation to stif1e I'd
freedom Of the BALLOT We take tn
liberty OF adding, nor q good citizen
What sort Of democrats, what sort {
citizens, arc Maginnis and his manager
proving Themselves to be? Let the pei
pie decide, and let thepI answer on t1
7th Of November.
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