Great Falls tribune., 1889-03-20
REPUBLICAN, PtOT,

THE republican majority brought dis
discredit on themselves in the closing |
hours of the legislature. AIN the house
during the forenoon legislative appor-
tionment bill was introduced by MIR.
Hunt, which was rushed through its sew
eral stages at railroad speed and sent over
tc the council. There Thompson of Deer
Lodge took IL in hand and engineered it
through first, second and third reading,
in spite of the resistance Of the democrat
lc members, led by Middleton, who made
an able speech of considerable length;
bu. the arbitrary rulings of the chair car
ried it over all obstacles, and it Was sent
down to the governor for his signature,
which it did not receive, and
consequently it, with a, number OF
other bills, fails to become laws"
| The bill which Governor Leslie very
prudently killed was an attempt to force
on Montana. an apportionment which
would be utterly inadequate for her pres
ent needs, 1t would give Cascade one
senator and one representative, but it
would link Choteau and Dawson togetl-
er giving them jointly one senator and
one representative. This attempt to form
the immense region which extends from
the main range Of the Rocky mountains
to Glendive into one district is an outrage
which every north Montanian should re-
sent 1t was done to punish Choteau for
being democratic, but it also sprung
from that dyed-in the-wool animosity
which republican strongholds in this ter
ritory bear to the great progressive region
which extends from Cascade county to
the Canadian border and from the Rocky
mountains to the Milk river valley. They
would, if they could, enchain this young
giant as the Lilliputians tried to shackle
Guliver, but the attempt will be as futile
in the one case as it was in the other.
The measure In question was born of
iniquity and injustice. There was no
pretence Of fairness in it. Figures which
cannot be disputed make that clear.
Choteau and Dawson cast last year 1854
votes. Yellowstone cast 925. Choteau
alone cast 1,242 votes. Yet this odious
gerrymander would give Yellowstone
alone a representative and compel Cho-
| teau and Dawson to accept like num-
Der. Why? Because Choteau is demo.
, cratic and Yellowstone is republican.
In the house five members Tough
, against this bill, but under the Lender
, ship of Mr.. Hunt it was rushed through
: In the council Mr. Collins and Mr.. Mid
3 dleton resisted stubbornly the odiou
e measure and demanded patient hear
n ing, but the party lash was applied ant
/ the bill was rushed through by vote 0
n 7 to ga circumstance which recalls tn
5. vote of to by which the presidential
y crime of 1877 was perpretrated. MI
l. Kennedy made all unavailing protest, bu
v felt bound to vote with his party.
10 The hidden purpose Of this schem
IN was to compel the constitutional conver
at tion to adopt like apportionment. TIL
re constitution of 1884 provides that tn
le number of members for the lower hous
ie of the first state legislature shall be tn
n same as under territerial Ials That R Pr
c when the population was sparse but tn
IN influx Of population has changed all tn,
IN and we need now a legislature of abo,
le 60 members. If Governor Leslie ha
ed signed this bill the next step would be I
re keep the constitution in accord with it,
ct that in the end the election of two repu7
lican senators would be rendered eas
'h either by purchase or by the free use
E. the party lash. But the plot has faile
rd and our noble Montana stands forth Or
On deemed and dislnthralled'' from the d
;ic basement to which the republican al
ed sheep herders' Legislature would consiE
to her. .-.~5