Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-25
A Singular Eeafure.

CIT is also singular and to us incredible. that
while there were in the county of Sill
yer Bow about 1000 votes so evenly divided be-
tween the two political parties that in the case
of every one of the candidates change of less
than 80 votes would have changed the majority
from one side to the other, the voters of this
new community at precinct "a, who must have
assembled from various parts Of the county,
whose names as they appear upon the poll list
indicate their descent from various nationali-
ties, should have been divided in any fair cleo
tion between the two political parties in the
proportion of III to g."
The majority further say that the canvass of
the votes of the precinct was not public within
the meaning of the law: that IS unnaturalIzed
aliens voted at the precinct, 26 more than
enough to have changed the result in all the
disputed cases, even if all the Republican votes
cast at both precincts were cast by these un-
naturalized aliens.
In conclusion the majority dIscussesl PROPOSE
tions or suggestions that were made One
is that the Governor having failed to recognize
the Legislature. 1t had no legal existence, and
therefore could not elect Senator'S This the
majority dismiss ingenious, but without
foundation, and opposed to the plain cOnstitu-
tional rights of the Legislature. The other is
that the committee should refer the case back
to the people of Montana in order to teach them
a needed lesson. The majority say that they
do not deem 1t to be in their power to deprive
any State of its rightful representation in the
Senate or to bar outright fully elected Senators
in order to teach lessons to any persons, or to
indicate their displeasure at certain modes of
procedure.
AS to the effect of this course, if it should be
pursued, the majority say it would, in their
opinion, be Numerically opposed to that
sought by really offering premium OH lawless-
ness.
The Other side.
MR.. GRAY presented the report of the
A'A minority. 1t sets forth the real state of
facts to be as follows: That the true Leglsla-
ture of Montana consisted of the Senate and
House, which met at the Court House in
Helena, that of the Senators and 20 members
of the House of Representatives held joint
convention for the election OF United States
Senators, in which majority of all the men,
bers elected to the Legislature appeared and
acted on the 7th Gay of January. 1890. The
members OF this convention chose Messrs. clark
and Maginnis to be United States Senators
from the State of Montana, and the Governor
who recognized both the House and Senate
which composed this joint convention, certified,
regularly and in due form that these two gen.
tlepen were chosen as Senators by the Legis-
lature of the State.
The adverse claimants, Messrs. Saunders and
Power, prreend to have been elected by joint
convention held in what was known as the
"Iron Halp' on the 1st day of January 1890.
But neither the House nor the members
thereof which acted in this joint convention
were ever recognized by the Governor, nor was
their pretended election as Senators ever certi-
fed TO by that officer.
who acted as members of the House of Repre-
sentatives in the Iron Hall convention were
not elected by the people of Silver Bow county,
whom they claimed to represent, as members
of the House. They only had certificates of
election. The five members really elected by
the people Of Silver Bow county, holding GER
tifcates of election also sat and voted in the
Legislature which met at the court house. The