St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-10-15
STEALING THE STATE,
Montana Republicans Deliber-
ately Attempt to Thwart
the viii Of the People.
Votes Of a Precinct Giving a
Democratic Majority Are
Rejected.
If Upheld This Action Changes
the Complexion Of the
Legislature.
Democrats Declare That They
Will Fight to the Bit
ter End.
snecinl 70 the Globe.

Special 70 the Globe.
BUTTE, Mont, Oct. 4.-Great eX-
element pre7 ailS in this city and
throughout Montana tonight. owing to
the illegal action of the Silver Bow
count ~ board il, throwing out the vote
of precinct No. 81. known as the Rail-
road precinct, which gave an average
Democratic majority of I'll. The Re-
publicans filed affidavitS with the board
setting forth that in that pre-
einet the judges of election
counted the ballots in secret
which is cOntrar.. TO the Aust rallan
voting law. 1t was upon the strength
of the atfidavits that the two Repu Bill
cans who constitute a majority of the
board of canvasSerS threw out the vote
of this large Democratic precinct. and
thereby placed the Democracy in this
state and county i'm the minority. Some
of the most eminent lawyers in Mon
tana appeared before the board and eX-
planned that the statutes did not
give the board power to reject the
votes of precinct 81. The boards du-
ties were simply ministerial. and it has
nothing to do with the legality of the
votes counted. The board could not 90
behind the returns as received from the
clerks and Judges of election. This was
cIear to every member of the board.
but the Republican party knew
that the rejection of this precinct
would elect six out of the ten RepuDi-
can candidates for the legislature from
Silver Bow county and that would give
fhn 81 fn lori St IN n fhG RnnnlAiiaan
by safe majority and thus secure the
election of two Republican United
States senators. 1t was this fact which
prompted the partisan members of the
board to
ATTEMPT THIS BOLD STEAL
of Mnntana'S next legislature. Imme-
diately upon the decision of the board
throwing out this important precinct.
Judge De Wolfe, on the application Of
the Democratic state committee, issued a
writ of mandamus, copies of which We're
served upon the members of the canvass
ing board, commanding them to canvass
the vote cast in the rejected pre-
clnct or appear before the dis
trict court at its next sitting
on the 18th of November and show cause
why they have not done 50. Much bit
terneSS is expressed on all sides to-
night over the disgTacefUl action of the
board, whose narrow partiSanShip is
condemned by many of the best Repuh-
lcans in the city. As mat
ter of fact the decision of
the Republran majority of the
board was written by Lawyer Thompson
Campbell, chairman of the Republican
county committee. The scheme to de-
feat the vi of the people of this terri
tory was cOHCOcted deliberated and exc
cuted iii cold blood. In an interview
with your correspondent tonight Judge
Dixon said:
There is no doubt that the courts will
sustain The Democratic view OF the ques-
ton.
In the meantime the county clerk will
moi ISSUE certificates of election those
declared elected by the canVa>sing
board. The courts have given judg-
ment in the matter. Meantime, eX-
citement in the city is intense.
An order was isSurd by Judge De
wolfe this evening citing the canvass
ing board to appear in court Nov. and
show cauSr why the vote of the rejected
precinct should not be counted as re-
turned 10y the Judges of election. The
feeling over this matter is growing very
bitter, and as the
REPUBLICANS CHARGE No FRAUD
out the precinct on technical grounds,
the Democrats say they will see to it
that the legislature is or aniZed as the
votes Of the people show they desire 1t
10 he. As an illustration of how the
board of canvassers come to their de-
ciSiOn, gentleman who was present at
the hearing in Butte Saturday
night, says the Democra ic law
yer, Judge Mcconnell, brought the
judges of election, two of whom
were Republicans and the ballot boxes
before the board. and agreed if these
Judges said there was any fraud. or if
the ballots did not show the Democratic
&alOrity claimed, lie would leave the
case. This did not make any diff
ference, as at the conclusion of
tie hearing the chairman OF
the Republican county committee,
a lawyer named Campbell, who
represented the Republicans at the
hearing, went into room with the
chairman of the canVasSing board and
dictated the decision. which threw the
Democratic precinct ont. This effort of
the Republican managers to gain by
trIckery what they lost at the polls is
not upheld by the rank and file
Of their party, and even such
a strong partisan as Judge Blake, an
appOintee of President Harrison and
who was elected chief justice at the
late election, says the board of canvass
ers had no right to do more than certify
to the vote as returned by the judges;
that the throwing out of a precinct is
altogether beyond their powers.
PROPHETS WITHOUT HONOR.
None of the NiSeacres Can Sift
the senatorial Situation at
Pierre.
Special TO the Globe
PIERRE, S. D., Oct. 1.-THE most
Innlitinnl rnr.n,nlnnt l.