The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-04-13
BUTTe'S ELECTION.

American citizenship does not often
impose obligations more serious than
those which, mt this hour, confront the
people of Butte. Under normal condi-
tons that city S annual election, what
ever its result, might come and go
without exciting wonder. But disturb
ance that will be memorable in pOliti-
cal annals has made famous the county
that has its center in Butte, and that
city will cast tomorrow a vote which
the commonwealth will note and
which, indeed, the nation will heed.
At the outset the personal element
was eliminated from the contest that
closes in Butte on Monday. In that
contest the two national political par
ties are represented by candidates
whose personal worth finds frank re-
cognition and whose quality for every
duty relating to the Office of mayor is
nowhere called in question. Every
public interest i'm Butte would be safe
in the hands of Mr.. Walton; the people
would commit the city without hesita-
ton or reserve TO the keeping of DIR.
Leavitt. Once a successful mayor of
Butte, Mr.. Walton has proved his title
to public confidence; never an aspirant
for political honors. DIR. Leavitt needs
no newspaper to herald his personal
popularity.
Weightier matters than those that
touch the relative merits of two excel
lent gentlemen are the stake In Butte.
Men who go to the polls tomorrow will
carry with them the memory of what
happened i'm Silver Bow county when
an election was held nearly seven
months ago. All the facts growing out
of the struggle which followed that cleo
ton will be in the mind of Butte's vot-
ers-the plumber of the tunnel
precinct, the turmoil in Helena,
the weary contest in Washington. Not
many hours hence, when blind parti-
sanship reaches full fruition, two seats
in the federal senate will be taken by
men whose right rests in corruption
and on whom the people be-
slowed political honors. Every Incl
dent in this struggle will be In the mind
of voters who go TO Butte's polls to-
morrow. With these voters the fact
that fraud i'm Montana is condoned i'm
Washington will settle no scores, just
ify no crime, right no wrong. The
merit involved in that contest
will be the broad issue when Montana
next addresses herself TO a general cleo
ton. In a restricted sense the question
will call forth in Butte, rs already in lie
lena, an expression of the popular will.
Thus il happens that the pending cleo
ton I'm Butte means much. That the
city is deeply stirred owe the contest is
not strange, neither is II remarkable
that fear of overwhelming condemna-
ton should prompt the registry out
g to which manipulating republi-
cans lent themselves yesterday after.
noon.
IL must be that the duty of the hour
is clearly defined for every democrat
il must be that this duty will be fully
and fairly met. Yet the STANDARD
appeals TO every man who frowns ut
fraud TO heed the significance of to-
morrow's vote and to see to IL that the
party's utmost strength is generously
accorded the democratic ticket. While
political dishonesty is ripening to rot.
tenness in Washington, make an intre.
pid fight for the honest count OF
the honest vote in Silver Bow
and. winning in to-morrow's
fight, prepare the way for the
grander triumph which Montana's
democracy will surely score, not many
months hence, in the broader field OF
state politics.