The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-08-01

something for ourselves where nature
has 30 abundantly supplied the natural
conditions.
CONTESTED ELEC1ION CASE.
We desire to make some corrections OF
made in the Helena Herald o.
July 18th, in reference to the investiea'
ton made by Hon. A. c. Botkin in the
election case, which that gen
tleman has instituted against Hon. Mar
tin Maginnis. The statements made are
not only misleading. bat are in no sense
Of the word, true. First, IL Gays there
was evidence tending strongly to show
that there were over GOO fraudulent votes
cast at Miles City. This statement is
made out of whole cloth. The judges
and clerks of election who were sworn
and all of whom but one, voted for Mr.
Botkin, testified that the election was
quiet and orderly; that challengers were
present on both sides; that the utmost
caution was used to prevent fraud. that
everything was open and above board,
and the count was openly conducted in
large room. The only witness lKTeidler
of the land office) who swore to any
fraud; swore that he saw one man vote
twice, and strange to say, did not chal-
lenge nor has since preferred charge
before the grand jury against the fraudu-
lent voter. Again, it says that the wit
nesses for Mr.. Maginnis are under indict-
ment, with the exception of two, leaving
the inference that the indictments are
for election frauds, whereas the indict-
ments are for some of the affairs of Custer
county and which will no doubt be
cleared up at the next term of court.
Again, it says one Of the precincts OF
Custer county, where over 100 votes were
cast, was shown to have no existence at
all. This is another out Of whole cloth,
as the record shows that such a precinct
was established and that precinct was
not attacked at all in this investigation.
The Miles City Press of the 2lst inst,
makes the astounding statement, that
the evidence goes to show that over 600
fraudulent votes were cast for Major
Maginnis in Miles City alone. This
statement bears upon its face the stamp
of falsehood, because it was in the prov
ince Of this examination only to show
the fraudulent nature Of the election and
fcould not possibly show who the fraudu-
lent votes were for. It is perhaps neces-
sary to state here, that Mr.. Botkin
appologized for this statement in the
Press. Again the Herald says that at
Glendive there was evidence of general
character to show that the vote was
excessive in proportion TO the popula-
ton, whereas the evidence shows that
the population Of Glendive was about
1000, about -one-fourth of which was
women and children, showing that full
vote would have developed voting
population of about 75O, and only 54l
votes were polled. Two out of the three
judges Of election (the other one being
absent) swore that the election was quiet
and orderly, that they had no reason to
believe that any fraudulent votes were
cast. It is true that it was agreed be-
tween the leaders of the two parties, that
they would allow the election to proceed
without any challenging and quarrelling,
the principal fight being upon the cleo
ton of their candidate for the council, as
they were DESTROYS to defeat the candi-
date put up by Choteau county. As
against all this balderdash we have au-
thority for stating that not a single
instance Except of the one above stated
goes to show the election was other than
fair. It is fact that the representatives
of both parties were offering to bet large
sums of money before the election that
there would be from ], 800 to 1900 votes
polled, whereas there were but about
1900. Again, as to the statement that
Custer county polled too large vote.
Now let us see. In that portion ofthe then
Custer county seven precincts have since
been put into Yellowstone county, which
precincts polled nearly ], 200 votes in the
Yellowstone county election. In the
Delegate election the same precincts
polled l, Os6, leaving about l 500 votes for
what is now known as Custer county.
At the election for the County Commits
sioners as provided by act of the legisla-
ture, in which but little interest was
taken, as there was but one ticket and
but very few voted except those who
favored the change there was about
1000 votes polled. Again the statement
makes Mr.. Botkin say that he has advices
from Missoula county that 600 illegal
votes were cast there. We do not believe
Mr.. Botkin has made any such statement,
as the testimony conclusively shows and
we have it from authority, that not a
single peg was left him upon which to
base a hope for contest. As in Missoula,
so will it be in Custer. It may be that
the contest will be money in Mr.. Botkin's
pocket, as it has been the custom to pay
the parties who contest a seat in the
HOUSE, but if any hopes are indugled in
that political capital can be made out of
it, at the next general election, we hereby
take occasion to inform our Republican
friends that they might as well disabuse
their minds upon this subject, as the
testimony is all taken down in black and
white and can be procured for publica-
ton. It is an easy matter to charge
fraud, but quite another thing to prove
it. No election has ever taken place,
where charges of fraud have not been
made and we dare say no election has
ever taken place, where the elective
franchise has not been abused. We de-
plore these things as much as any one
and would join heart and hand, in every
measure to purify the ballot box. If
Montana had not been persiaently and
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