The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-04-22
Tile MONTANA ELECTION.

bourbon Flnpdoodlc About "a Steal Of
Senators cicnrty ftobuttcd.
Salt Lalc Cay Tribune.
The following communication Is from
the pen Of a gentleman who watched thu
tho Montana campaign and the contest
In the courts after election:
SALT LAKE CRY, April II, 1890.
| beg leave to submit tho following
summary: o
!. No Democrat OF acknowledged stand.
Ing IN the county OF Silver Bow has ever
asserted, and no Democrat OF acknowl.
edged standing in the county OF Silver
bow believes that twenty peraons regis.
te'ed at the famous tunnel precinct"
mad q right to vote, or were citizens OF
the United States.
:. II is a matter Of common notoriety
that 10 per cent Of the men registered
were Dagoes, brought into Silver Bow
county in the months OF May aud June,
a very many Of them, possibly, having
been IN the country six months by yet.
ting there early in April. 1t is impossi.
Die, however, that any considerable
number got there as early as the first day
OF April, 1889, which they must have
donc 10 be- legal voters OH the second
day OF October, surprising them to be
otherwise entitled to exercise tho right
Of suffrage.
5. 1t is Il matter OF common notoriety
that many OF them were scattered about
TIC hills near Butte City, under tho pay
OF the Big Four until they were con-
centrated ut the tunnel.
4. 1t Is a matter Of common notoriety
that when they went into the polling
booth to vote, under the so-called Aus.
tfallan system, each illiterate foreigner
wore suspended, or pinned over his
breast, u placard which bors this legend:
- can neither read nor write the Eng
lish language; l. want 10 vote the
straight Democratic ticket"
D. 1t is doubtless true that n Republi. |
can Board OF County Commissioners
erected the Tunnel precinct, being
pretty certain Of carrying it for their
party. In fact, the Democrats openly
accused the Republicans OF knowing, be-
iorehand, that the Italians had no right
10 vote, and that the burden Of their
song WAS that the Republicans, having
been beaten at their own game, ''had no
right to kick" The Democrats. there
lore, were fully aware OF the game that
was being played, permitted it to 20 on,
and proiited by it. Not a man who
wore the placard was challenged.
u. The man Bernard should be elm
mated from the controversy. Eight cit
izens (not DaSocs) made affidavit that
voted the straight Republican ticket at
tue Tunnel precinct. Yet the "returns"
showed only three Republican votes.
:. The returns Of precinct 81 were re-
Jected for defects and irregularities ap-
parent on their face, namely: Non.con-
lormlty with the law by emitting names
OF the clerks, who were specially charged
with the duty OF certifying the returns,
and substituting in their stead the
names oil judges who had excluded the
and counted the clerks to suit
themselves.
$: The Republican Commissioner,
Hail, III the absence OF Commissioner
Jack, chairman OF the Canvassinr Board,
obeyed the writ Of mandate issued and
made premptory by Judge Stephen De
Wolfe. sat with the Democratic manager
OF tho board, Judge Crime, and counted
the return OF Precinct 81, rs originally
sent III, for all the Democratic candi.
dates. n III, tf3
o: at this point let Colonel O'Brien
ana any others Ct his views take notice.
Before completing its labors the State
Canvassing Board OF Helena sent a
special messenger 10 Butte City, who
demanded OF tho Clerk and Recorder Of
the county OF Silver Bow tho abstract of
The returns Of that county, which said
demand was then and there refused.
Thereafter, and within the time fixed
by the ordinance or schedule attached to
tue new Constitution, the State Board
finished its labors, counted so much OF
silver Bow county as was not in dispute,
and declared the result'' ss by law re-
CURED. a., Il
: 10. The claim OF the Democrats, that
the old Territorial law governed in this
a1atter-namely,, that. County Clerks
should issue certificates Of election to
members Of the Legislature, etc., was
early exploded by the decision Of the
Supreme Court Of Montana, sitting in
banque. Tho decision was: That the
certificate Of election issued by the State
Canvassing Board, in the case Of a lesis-.l
lator, prima' jdcie entitled him to biz
seat, and carried with it tho right to
payment OF salary and mileage. 1t was
by yirtueoi such tickets that the Repub-
lican Legislators met and ~orgaAized. and
it was by men holding such certificates
that Sanders and Power were chosen
Senators Of the United States.
II. The Democrats who claimed to be
elected 10 tho Legislature from Silver
Bow C~ounty-some Of them at least
refused certificates from the State Can
wasting Board, and would have nothing |
but certificates Issued by the County
Clerk.
-. 1t is manifest, both by tho law and
the facts, that the Democrats destroyed
Uhntn,,ar IN - t1a,, had 3,,,j tt,a, o,..L,A