The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-07-19
OPINIONS OF A CHOTEAU COUNTY
DEMOCRAT.
He Does Not Believe in the Existence OF a
Ring-A Chat Over the Delegate
Question.

sentative OF the paper caught one VI ouI
citizens the other evening and inter-
viewed him on the subject. The sub
stance of the interview was as follows:
"What do you think of the express
sions OF the gentleman interviewed the
other day on the political situation in
Choteau county? Do you believe in the
existence of a ring here??"
mo, / do not
Il do not mean a corrupt ring, but Il
political ring
III understand. | do not believe there
is i political ring such as would be
understood by the remarks OF the gentle
man. OF course it is natural to expect
that if a man is III a position to help a
friend III securing q good office he Wilde
SO. You or | would do the same thing
had we the opportunity, and no one
should take exception to it,
"Nhat is your opinion Of the proposed
plan to put up a citizens ticket"
II have no opinion to speak OF, or
which would be worth anything. [ have
taken no interest in the matter myself,
have spoken to 10 n about politics,
neither has anyone approached me on
the subject"
"From a partisan standpoint, do you
think it would be policy for the republi-
cans to c~oalesce with the disaffected
democrats in such Il movement?o
Taking a purely partisan view OF the
question, I do not. They might succeed,
with the help of democrats, in getting
one or two of their party friends into
office, but it would not tend to strengthen
them as a party. Their best policy
would be to put up a straight ticket COM
posed of men who would command the
confidence of the people generally, and
make the fight on the personal qualifi-
cations and fitness Of their candidates.
"But, even if their nominees were
known to be good men for the positions,
what show would they have, or would
they have any? Would it not be a hope
less fight against theacknowledged large
democratic majority in the county?
"I do not think it an entirely hopeless
contest. You are no doubt aWar that
party feeling does not run very high in
Choteau county and that party lines are
not drawn very close here. / believe
many Of our citizens prefer men to party,
and should the democrats make any mis-
takes in the men they put on their
ticket. the opposing candidates, if the
right sort Of men, would stand an excel
lent chance of being elected
'"Then you think a straight ticket is
the best for the party as q partyoo
Most decidedly [ do. A great num-
Der of voters throughout the whole terri
tory, and in fact the country over, from
self-interest and other motives naturally
drift toward the party which is in the
ascendancy. This fact we are all aware
of. Well, the present and expected inn
migration will be found to be largely re-
publican, and what the republicans of
Choteau, as well as of the territory, must
do to secure the benefit of this immigra-
ton is to keep their party organization
intact and in working condition. This
they could not do by entering into any
coalition. They might not elect a single
candidate this fall in this county, but at
the election following they would beina
condition to enter the field with fair
prospects of success
"But do you think a combination
ticket would stand any chance this
year,"
"Oh, | don't know. 1t might it is
within the range Of possibility that such
a ticket, if selected judiciously from
both parties, would make a clean
sweep"
"Well, to switch off from local or sec
tional politics, do you think the demo-
Gratis will have a walk-oyer in the dele
gate race this yearm
"That depends to a great extent on the
nominations. THERE'S a chance of their
being defeated should their candidate
not be a pretty strong man, provided at
the same time the republicans make a
good nomination.
"Who do you think will get the demo-
cratic nomination 20
In my opinion the chances lie be-
tween w. A. Clark, Sam. Word and Joe
Toole. There are, in fact, no others in
the race
(which of the three has the best
chance for the nomination ~
! 9"Their chances are about equal.0