The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-12-01
New York Tribune'S Ideas.
In a Recent Issue The Tribune Laws
Down the Montana Law.
The State Supreme Court will moi
Recognize ToOle's Senators.
The First Judge of Claim to a Rep
resentative Seat is the State
Board.

The N. Y. Tribune of late date has
the following to say about Governor
Ioole. The writer gives the true version
OF his despotic attempt to exercise the
functions of the legislature:
Joseph X. Foole was elected governor
OF Montana not because there were more
democrats than republicans in that state,
for every other democrat than he on the
state ticket was disastrously beaten. Mr..
Toole pulled through because he possess
es certain elements of personal amiability
which caused few young republicans
to prefer him to his particular opponent
But the margin of difference in the total
poll for him, the most popular democrat,
and for his opponent, the least popular
republican, was only 500 votes, not
enough to bear much strain. Mr.. Toole
las been in office two weeks, but he has
already assumed the functions of a die
tator, and has committed acts so utterly
beyond his authority as to justify the
house OF representatives of Montana in
impeachment proceedings. This course
would be futile, for Governor Toole is
acting under party orders and the state
senate is equally divided as to parties,
but the governor will find that the office
of dictator is as offensive in the Rocky
mountains as it would be within sight of
Bunker Hill.
The election of October 1 took place
under the authority of the Enabling Act
of congress and in accordance with the
provisions of an ordinance passed by the
late constitutional convention of Mon
tana. That ordinance created the terri
torlal governor, secretary and chief JUS
tlce, board of canvassers to canvass the
returns of the election, as certified to
them by the county boards and to declare
the result as to the constitution, the con
gresham, the state officers and the legis
tative assembly. 1t is from this board
that Governor Toole received the certiti-
cate of election by which he holds his
office. From this board, too, thirty re-
publicans and twenty four democrats
hold commissions as members of the
house OF representatives., and eight re-
publicans and eight democrats hold COM
missions as state senators. In the house
delegation from Silver Bow county, how
ever, there is a contest, and the political
character of the house depends upon its
determination. The state canvassers,
acting on the returns furnished them by
the Silver Bow county canvassers, issued
certificates to the republican claimants.
Under the law, each county clerk issues
certificates to the county officers and the
county clerk of Silver Bow is democrat
He has supplied the democratic claim
ants with certificates.
And now Governor Toole steps in. He
issues, as directed by the constitutional
convention, a proclamation calling to-
gether the Legislature, and just before it
meets he takes forcible possession of the
court house in Helena arms it with sen
tries, declares it by proclamation the only
place where the legislature may meet
and that the only persons who will he
permitted to enter it are those bearing
certificates of their election from county
clerks. He has as much right thus tC
undertake to define the legislatures mem
bership as has the Arcoon of Swat. That
he should designate the place in which
as we'll as the time when the Legislature
should meet was proper and right, but in
undertaking to determine which of til