The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-01
SCHEME.

BOTKINS SCHEME.
The attempt of Marshall Botkin Il
prove fraud In the vote that beat him
for delegate last fall may serve tc
amuse that gentleman and to enable
him to while away the time which
the few duties pertaining to his office
do not prevent from dragging on his
hands. 1t may also serve to give aid
and comfort to the few very sore
headed Republican editors in the
Territory who took his defeat with
such bad grace. It can serve also an
other purpose. The story that be
has evidence tending strongly to
show that there were over 900 fraud
| ulsnt votes returned at Miles City,
for Maginnis. is of the very gauziest
and unsubstantial character. Of
course he has but little else to do,
while under the pay of the United
States, than to run around tho Terri
tory and gather up evidence here and
there upon the testimony of Tom,
Dick and Harry that someone voted
this way or that way who had no
right to vote at all.
But while the Marshal is employs ed
in his labor oflove he owes it as much
to himself as he does to the public at
large to find out how many illegal
votes were cast fer A. G. Botkin. If
he shall do this the people will award
him credit for q d~isinterested desire
to preserve the purity of the ballot
box in this Territory. But if he
gather up and count the Nnners in
the Democratic fold and leave unno-
ticed and uncounted the repeaters,
the unaturalized Scandinavian Re-
publican voters, and the great army
of other illegal voters who cast its
ballot for A. G. Botkin he will have
accomplished nothing that will
bring him honor or profit. He
will not even make the people
believe he came any nearer being
elected Delegate to Congress than is
shown by the returns which he AN
vassed and signed without protest.
There is q great deal of noise and
smoke still raised about the last dele
gatorial election. There is an. object
in making this noise and but few are
SO blind they cannot see it. There
are Republicans and Republican
newspapers that propose Marshal
Botkin shall be the next Republican
candidate for Delegate to Congress.
With this object in view he must be
kept constantly before the public in
some way, and if it can be made to
appear he was defrauded out of his
election, why he can pose as a martyr
who, having fought, bled and
nearly died for the cause of
his party was denied the
fruits of his victory. 1t is a nice
scheme but it won't work. Mr.. Bot
kin may be gratiied to his hearts
content in being kept to the trent on
occasions without endangering
the prospect Of the next Democratic
nominee. He may, furthermore, be-
come the subject of long-winded
editorials in "disgruntled " Republi-
can newspapers without being
strengthened before the people, but
when he or his friends insult the in
telligence of the people by attempt
ing to impoauGeaaon them the story
he was fairly elected over Major
last fall, he and they over
shoot the mark and instead of his
viewed as a martyr he will be
looked upon as little less than a crank
whose mind has been partially upset
by tho vision of a prize which he
could not obtain. We repeat it the
scheme will fail. He will convince
no one outside of a few unreasonable
partisans that Major Maginnis was
not fairly elected, and he will fall far
SHIRT of making the next Congress
that Montana IS not a thor
Democratic Territory or that
t did not elect Maginnis by the ma
ority placed to his credit. He will,
however, have gained his point. He
will be kept before the people, and if
1e cannot pose as a martyr of the in
Justice Of Democracy he will at least
nave the satisfaction of knowing that
many people will remember him who
would have forgotten that
Mr.. A. G. Botkin ever ran for Dele
rate to Congress.