St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-17
THE MONTANA FRAUD.

i l. l Ni'Nt~A --Ir' 80 " 49,
THE MONTANA FRAUD.
DeyeIO pmentS in Montana election
matters confirm the GLOBES original
assertion that the action OF the Repub-
Iican canvassing board in Silver Bow
county is nothing more or less than
downright ballot thieyery, and is a
parallel infamy with that perpetrated
in 1916, when scoundreliSm pre- vailed
over law and justice. If the Republican
party, or its leaders, can afford 10
shoulder the responsibility for this das-
tardly attempt to steal the legislature
of Montana, then the consequences OF
their crime be upon them. Our III
formation from Montana, and 1t is
thoroughly reliable, goes to show that
there is not mitigating circumstance
in this attempted ballot theft. The
thieves do not claim that they have
law on their side, nor do they deny that
the Democratic legislative candidates
received Il majority Of the votes
cast in the county OF Silver Bow.
The technically" so called, upon
which they hinge their infamous action
is that only two of the three cleo
ton Judges were at their post all of
the time during election day: and even
this slender technically was beSed
upon tie eX-parte statement of notori-
OuS political striker. vino is just out OF
the penitentiary. So apparent is the
infamy perpetrated by the Silver Bow
canyassing board that the honest Re-
publicanS of Montana, including such
prominent gentlemen as eX-GOv. CAR
PENTER, Judge BLAKE, of the supreme
court, Delegate CARTER and others.
are OutSpOken in their condemnation Of
the fraud.
That class of Republicans, both in
and out of Montana, who are disposed
to Justify the action of the Silver Bow
canvassers. do it upon the sumption
that the excessive Democratic vote at
Precinct - vas prima facie evidence of
fraud-that it was impossible there
should be SO many voters of one
party in community, and so
few Of the Other. They point
to the ia votes for the Democratic
candidates and the five votes fol the
1kcDuDlltdli do btlC
of a fraudulent count. This theory is
upset. however, right in the beginning,
by the fact that the election judges
were Republicans, and cast three Of the
five Republican votes at hat precinct.
1t is scarcely possible that the judges,
being Republicans and voting for the
Republican candidates. would deliher-
ately 90 to work and count out other
Republican votes. More than that. the
disparity in the party vote at Precinct
81 is not such an uncommon occurrence
as the Montana ballot thieves would
have US believe. We have only to refer
to our election returns here in Mime
sofa for the proof of our assertion.
Down in the staid old county Of Fill
more, a county of exceptional morals.
at the last presidential election the Nor
way voting precinct gave HARRISON
1GG votes and CLEVELAND ). In Free
born county the Riceland precinct gave
HARRISON 13S, CLEVELAND 8. In Kan
diyOhi county, the Alexander precinct
cast 12G votes for HARRISON and for
CLEVELAND. One precinct in KittsOn
county gave HARRISON -, CLEVELAND
l. In some precincts HARRISON re-
ceiYeG the entire vote. In fact, we can
cite fifty instances, right here in Mime
sofa, where the disparity in the voting
strength of the parties. IS exhibited by
the election returns, is as great. or
greater, than in the Silver Bow precinct
which was thrown out by the Montana
Republican canvasserS.
1t is asserted, on what seems to be
good authority, that the Silver Bow out
rage was cOncOcted by ali aspiring Mon
tana politician whose hopes of gaining a
seat in the United States senate de
pended on the success of this rascaIly
scheme. 1t would be a sad commentary
on the social and political conditions of
Montana if one smart ScOundrel could
prove an over-match for the honesty and
intelligence of the whole people of the
state. 1t would be equivalent to adver-
Using Montana as good state for TaS-
Gals TO flock TO and for honest men to
keep away from. Such would be the i'm
preston made outside the boruers of
Montana if this Silver Bow rasealitywere
permitted TO stand. Surely, the good
DCOplC VI -hOiiOtud ttO HUI hdllI ~
their advent INTO the Union under a
darker cloud than Overhung Louisiana
during the reign of the carpetbagger.
Party victories are of short duration at
best, but the stain which would be in
hicted upon Montana by the accomplish
ment of this dastardly outrage would
last forever. The people of Montana,
regardless of party, owe it to themselves
to set the state right in this matter, and
see to it that every vote cast in Silver
Bow county last election day shall be
counted.
1t is particularly the duty of the DEM
ocratic leaders to resist the commission
of this crime against the ballot 10 the
last extremity. The case has been ap-
pealed to the courts, and there is
scarcely a reason TO doubt that the final
decision will be what it ought 10 be, I'M
less the president interferes in the
meantime by removing some of the hon
orable judges now in Office and replac-
ing them with more plant tools of the
gang. This is hardly possible. There
is probability, however, that the ballot
thieves will endeavOr to keep the Silver
Bow case hung up in the courts until
after the time for the meeting of the
legislature. and will then make an Effort