The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-17
HONORABLE LABOR's VOTE.

to the brain-power of his party in Mon
tana, threatens to prove an expensive
luxury. The evil genius, which seems
to dog his every footstep, prompts him
now to sheer and scott at the foreign la
borers who have thrown in their lot
with this country and it's free institu-
tions. In his eyes they rank no higher
than the apes. Poised on the heights
Of his transcendent wisdom, he sees no
wrong in their being illegally robbed Of
their rights that the constitution con-
fers upon them. They are mere for
eigners, unworthy of consideration.
That the law expressly gives to them
under certain restrictions the right to
vote is, to him and the party he repre-
sents, the merest trife. Precinct "a is
lasting memorial of the value the re-
publican party attaches to the foreign
laborer and his rights. Will they at the
coming election forget the measure that
was melted out to them?
Mr.. Harrisons new editor can hardly
be expected to know it, but it is mat
ter Of fact that this great northwest,
before all places in the world, recognizes
and IS proud of honest labor. Here we
have other and better tests of manhood
than broadcloth, bank accounts or soft
hands. "The rank is but the guinea
stamp, the mans the gold for all that"
What would Montana have been to-day
without the laboring hands of the men
whom eastern ignorance affects to de-
spise? Who would have laid out vast
lines of railroads, tunnelled our mount
aims, and risked their lives in the mines
to raise Montana to the proud position
she occupies in the sisterhood of the
Union? Who but the men that are
ranked by republican editor with the
ape and chimpanzee?
OF such labor and such laborers we
have every right to be proud. Nor can
common honesty limit this tribute of es-
TEEN to the American workman. The
latter would be the first to recognize that
he has had brothers who have nobly
stood by him in every undertaking,
earnest Scandinavians, sturdy Germans,
ardent Frenchmen and many others.
Are these men to be disfranchised be-
cause they cannot speak English as to
the manner born? Is this in spite of
law to be the one test of intelligence,
and if this fails are they to be robbed by
canvassing boards and by party that
pretends to be the peoples friend, of
the rights the law allows them?
Shall all their good qualities and the
information they possess, though they
cannot express it in the English tongue,
only entitle them to be classed by the
republican party with the genus mon
key? Their detractor would seem to
have forgotten that there are many
countries in the world where the value
he would fetch, if tested by similar
standard, would be phenomenally small
The foreign laborers of the state OF
Montana are not likely to forget pre-
cinct "a and this, the latest insult that
republican narrow mindedness has
heaped upon them.
In short, no laboring man, American
or foreigner, can afford to vote any ticket
but the democratic one this fall. If he
votes for the labor candidate he is
guilty OF an act of Quixotry. That
ticket has no hope of success and he is
casting away his vote. If by such loss
OF democratic votes the republican
nominee is once more returned to con.
gress, the laboring men of this state
will stultify themselves. They will en-.
dorse the action of fraudulent can
wasting board. They will admit that
that board had the right to rob TIA fel
low workers of their privilege of the bal
lot. They will lend their aid to perpet
. uate the power of party that ha.
always ignored the true interests O
the laboring classes and pandered an,
toadied to the interests of the wealthy few
who have been promt with campaign
funds. They will abnegate their right
as independent sovereigns They vii
declare themselves the tools of tn,
republican party. They will confess tn
right of ballot farce. They will ALLOW
themselves to go through the mocker,
OF voting and hand over to canvassin,
board the right to reject their vote, if i
so pleases them. They will run counte
to the judicial decision Of staunch re
publican like Judge Knowles who, fror
his place on the bench, declared that tn
a functions of canvassing board wer
clerical and extended no further TIL
4 labor party denounces the frauds of pre-
: cnct 81. The democratic party de
: nounces the frauds of precinct a. Tn
o laboring man, who has the best interest
4 OF his fellows at heart, has only to paus
for one moment to consider which dc
nunciation is likely to carry more weigh
d and he will march to the polls to vot
f for the Hon. w. w. Dixon, the nes
II congressman from Montana.
h The following lines were i,adverten
:. ly dropped out of the democratic pla
u form in making I'M the renort in vasto