The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-03-18
THE RAILROAD BILL.

Shall we have railroad. the objee-
tions of Governor to the contrary not
withstanding? 1t is our opinion that
Gallatin county can and should at once
take steps to build a railroad from the
GaIlatin coal fields to Butte The con
temptible cowardice Of Governor Car
penter in pocketing House bill No l02,
has no parallel in the history Of Monta-
ma. 1t was Il direct and most cowardly
stab, not only at Eastern Montana, tut
an affront to the Legislature who passed
the bill by a majority of twelve ont of
thirty-four votes in both houses, OF in
other words it passed the House by a
vote of thirteen to nine, and the Counci |
| by vote of eight to three lone member
absent in each house, Had the Cover
nor sent the bill back to the House
where it originated in time for that body
to act on it, no complaint would have
been made. Put the manner in which
his ExcellencY has taken to disp lse of
the bill, shows most conclusiyely that se
did not intend to act squarely and hon
estly with the bill, and in our opinion
influences that failed to defeat the bill
while before the Legislature, found a
willing tool after the bill passed into the
hands of the Executive His Excellency
could and did sign the Text Book bill
exactly two minutes before II o'clock,
without reading or in any way examin-
ing the bill The people of Gallatin
county will be pleased to know that this
Text Book bill was in the interest of the
well-known publishers of San Francisco,
Bancroft & Co., who, through their
agents succeeded in swindling so many
of our farmers in Gallatin county, as well
as every other county in the Territory.
The Text Book bill, as passed, in our
opinion, was the development of an
immense piece of jobbery, that will cost
the people of Montana thousands upon
thousands Of dollars in the next two
years without the slightest benefits. The
discracefnl scenes enacted in and about
the Legislature halls in the last hours of
the session, consumed in the passage of
the Text Book bill, which was only
passed and reached the Governor two
minutes before the hour of final adjourn
ment, beggars description. Book agents
rushing from one house to the other in
wild excitement, running over innocent
by-standers clammoring to reach the
bar of the House or Council, TO confer
with members workingin their interests.
One could not help but be impressed
with the idea that something of the most
vital importance was going on. And
when it is known and understood that
the bill exacts prices fifty per cent. great
er for the text books in question, than
the same books could be bought for from
responsible houses, the magnitude of the
Job can be understood. These are mat
tiers that appeal directly to the sober
judgment of our people. Our late inn
port ID Governor did not have the time
to examine bill containing less than
200 words, placed in his hands twelve
hours before adjournment; bill that
would not have taken one cent from any
county through which it passed, asking
nothing but exemption from county
taxes for ten years. A bill that would
have been worth at least two millions of
dollars to Gallatin county in two years
and of incalculable benefit to every
county through which it passed. The
same Governor however found time to
sign the Text Book fraud, placed in his
hands just two minutes before the final
adjournment. A bill containing about
5000 words bill that will felch from
the pockets of our people at least one
hundred thousand dollars in the next
two years, from which not single dollar
Of benefit will be derived.