Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-06
THE RESULT.

The election of the Hon. j. K. Toole to
succeed himself as delegate in Congress has
co~nclusively proven that the people Of
Montana are not yet prepared to trust
their interests in the hands OF the attorney
of a gigantic railroad corporation, and
that notwithstanding the great influences
brought to bear upon them combined with
the lavish use of money they remained true
to the vital interests of the Territory and
to themselves.
The moment the result Of the last ballot.
ing for Delegate in Congress was announced
in the Territorial Republican Convention
which was held in this city the 18th Of last
September the issue between the people OF
Montana and the Northern Pacific Rail-
road was made. It was the main issue in
the campaign and upon it Col. Sanders lost,
and he deserved defeat. He presumed
upon the power of the corporation which
he represents in this Territory, and upon
the credulity of the people to carry him
through. The one was not strong enough
and the other was too weak.
1t will be admitted that Col. Sanders is
a bright, shrewd man; that he has a fair
command of language and effectively en-
| ploys it; that he can be sacastic and at
| times witty and that he possesses more
| than an average stock OF learning and ex'
perience. But Wilbur F. Sanders is neither
| a Demosthenes nor a Solomon and falls far
| shorter of being a statesman. He display.
ed a lamentable lack of q knowledge OF
human nature-a very essential qualiica-
ton in a s~tatesman-in seeking for the
nomination and after it had been bestowed
upon him he exhibited wretched judgment
in rapping out his line OF argument in the
campaign. From the outset he senselessly
attacked Cleveland and Manning or the
silver question, and Sparks on his timber
rules and regulations. These men were
forced to the front by Mr.. Sanders and his
organs as issues in the campaign, while
they really should have cut no O OF a
figure in it than should the King OF the
Sandwich Islands. Though the object was
transparent and was detected by the
youngest tyros in politics, Cleveland, Man.
ming and Sparks were harped upon with
all possible changes.
In doing this, however, Sanders and his
henchmenl were force. to an exhibition Of
party inconsistency that drew out the
point and sting of his arguments. He was
compelled to condemn those gentlemen
doing just what their Repub-
predecessors did, and for which
were endorsed and sustained by their
The real object, however, of all this
clap trap was to stop all aggressive move
ments on the part Of the Democraticspeak-
ers and press and place them on the defen-
sive. The plan didn't work, on the con- I
trary Col. Sanders and his following were |
forced to defend his political record which,
as the result shows, was not successfully |
done. The ''electric hutton swamped him
Lewis and Clarke and Choteau; Timber
line was a thorn in his side in Gallatin; his /
connection with the Northern Pacific d.
verified votes from him all over the Terri |
tory; his subsidy record cooled the ardor
Of his adherents and his pro-Chinese utter
ances disguised and alienated many SELF
respecting f~oreign-born citizens everywhere.
Again Col. Sanders presumed upon his
to play the ''%ovorawing act' with
and became Extensively personal
those who stood in his way. His
,haracterizing Mr.. Toole as "a shyster' in
mis- Opera House speech in this city on the
I'VE of the election is but one evidence of his
peevishness, loss OF temper and disappoiat-
ment at the flilure Of his favorite weapon.
His defeat is Montana's salvation. The
people have set the seal o ftheir disapprov-
al upon this first attempt of a huge cor
porate power to stife their voice. 1t is |
we'll. The Democracy OF the Territory will
]efend and champion their cause should it
again be attempted.