New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-29
LIVELY TIMES IN MONTANA
EXPECTATIONS As TO THE COMING SESSION
OF THE LEGISLATURE.
DEMOCRATS EVEN TALK OF CHOOSING PRE-
TENDERS TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE,
AND OF IMPEACHING LIEUTENANT

Montana has or will have. al the opening OF tir com
Ing session Of the state Legi,aturc-another legs
laivc situation similar 10 that OF last winter wlch
rcSultcd I'm The famous deadlock Of the two p'Hiical
parties 1t also probable that the tension and bl'ter
ness thus cnccndercd will he greater this time than De
fore and that violent and exciting scenes may be
looked for. Both parties acknowledge tie pressing
need Of legislation and the people generally demand
that il shall be Effected. Last winters session, pro
vidcd for by the newly adopted State Constitution ana
held Immediately after the state election III the idl OF
l--9 was called, primarily. foT the passage "i laws
made especially necessary by the change from lcril
toria form Of government that of state. and also
for the election of United states senators Nothing
however was accomplished except the election Of the
senators, and through a long session Of ninety days
not one Of the much needed laws was passed ~
result the commercial prosperity OF The people mas p"
heavily handicapped and the state has already
lo.t over 100000 by the Legislatures failure
70 pass appropriation laws This mas rem
dctcd necessary fire payment Of excessive inter st
ON money which, with an Overlooking treasury ue
STATE In, been compelled to borrow. This blockade
Of commercial development and progress and this drain
ON the states finances continues. and Will continue
until the needed laws are had. Nevertheless the
situation which caused last years deadlock remains
practically unchanged. The causes Of the deadlock'
being also The causes which led the Democrats 10
contest the seats of MOntana's United states Stna
tors are we'll known throughout the country and need
Ice only briefly rc-tated. when the vote Of the cleo
ton Of I--g was canva>,cd 1t was found that the
returns from certain voting precinct In silver Bow
Comfy were elrblcd irregular and fraudulcnt-that
they were MT returns. in fact-and they were ac-
ccrdncly thrown ont 10y the state Clnvas,ing Board
This was The famou, Precinct No. 81. Had these
alleged returns been counted five more Democrats
would have been returned. and Tie Democrats would
have had twentv-unc members In the lower nous"
instead of twenty four. while the Republicans would
have had twenty five instead II thirty. The election
II one member to the lower house. a, joint representa-
tive for Deer Lodge and Ecavcrcad Counties resulted
I'm a tie vote which wa, not contested by either party.
Thu, the fail membership Of the House was
ffty five and. majority constituting quorum.
the Republicans had two more than quorum.
while the Democrats. if th"y counted their
i've claimants from silver Bow. had quorum
with one to pare. MI the power and money Of the
millionaire Democratic bosses who asprcd TO the
United state, senate wee brought TO bear to have
these five Democrats counted in The clerk of silver
Bow County issued certificates Of election Ia them
although the County Cduva>-inC Board had. Ike The
state Cauva~-ing board rcpudlatcd the returns from
Precinct No. 81. The members all had certificates
from the state Canva,~ius Board and many Demo
cratic members from other counties had nothing but
these although they claimed the County Clerks certi
Gates were legal and the only required. All the
members aud claimant, came to Hcera as the time
TOR the opening Of the session drew near. How the
new Governor Joseph X. Tooc. the only Democrat
the state ticket who wa, elected put Yale locks the
doors Of the House Chamber and put the keys IN charge
Of a gang of ruflans headed by Captain Jack smith
how he issued proclamation to the effect that none
hut holding certificates If County Clerks would be
allowed 10 pa-s Captain Jack and enter the chamber.
how The Republicans rented another chamber IN another
mart Of the city and convened the lower house there
how state Auditor kcnney ON the night previous 10
the opening Of the session refused a hrhc Of go
IL. NJ. g.rff..
chamber and called it in the the chamber rented hy
The Republicans instead Bow Governor Toolc wrote
, private letter f. Captain Jack smith in-tructus
him 10 lm the Yale locked House al ~ no claimed
10 De members without regard 10 certificates and how
tai. letter was never made public until after th'
Democrats had called their roll and chosen
a temporary speaker and the Republicans had done
The -amc in another part Of the city after which the
ct,cr wa, read from the speaker, desk In 10" Demo
cratic Hou,c. All thee thinc- matters Of hstorv
The deadlock TIM, created. principally through ~" h
reference and d>iuseuuou-ue,, Of Governor Iopr con
fIuucd throughout the SESSION. and the two house,
never came together The stat >rna" wa polti' alN
lic. being composed ~ eight Republican. and eight
Democrat. with Lieutenant Governor Richards.
.tii,h Republican. president. Nr. EickarlN mad"
rulings concerning the absence or presence 81 member
f the senate exactly similar those made by speaker
Reed. 81 the National ton@i,,-. and thrN were made.
too 900 tie anne day. Fearing from His that the t."
publican. House would receive recognition from the
senate. tIe Democratic senators made their absence
physical and actual. a. we'll o, "corrtmcuv"." by
tlylus away fr,m the senate Chamber until arrested
aad brought iu by the sergeant at Arms. fhcn the
over hou-c was recognized. lint upon the adjourn
mcnt ~ the dan, session tc Democratic senator, h"d
from the cty. state senator becker wa, caught 'hr
nest diy the eastern part ~ tine stat" and brought
back the >cuat" Chamber lu-t ~rmc oills came m
from the lower house. These bills only needed the
Signature OF the President of the senate t. bccon" laws
but for some reason they not then signed. and
when the senate next uvencd Nr. Becker absent
Ne had ven h- worl not 70 away again nd been
purrcd Of contempt and released from custody but BOZ
Tie middle Of the night lie lett hi, hotel dIs -cd
g. a railroad locomotive fireman. boarded special
engine hired for the purpose by the Demo
cratic millionaire. and before II known that he
had broken i, word SAT. acro-5 the line IN Idaho.
% much for lat ycar'- .c,,ion This wear the mem
bcr,lhp 81 the House /, the same. because all those
elected hold over until l-,1. There T., however
new member This ], the JOINT representative for
Deer Lodge and Ecaycrhcid cOuntc, mentioned above.
Hho elected without tie or contest and is a Dem
ocrat This give, the Demo r,i~ twenty five uncon
tested member and the Republicans equal number.
Eight senators went out for election, with the result
thai the senate Will now be- conIo.e If ten Democrats
and six Republicans. The Democrats nov say That,
despite the fact that the legality Of last years lower
hou-e Wa. affirmed bv The district courts. the state
supreme Court, and finally by thc senate Of the 'hi'"
states they VIII not rccoslilc IT, They VIII recognize
thc hve claimant, from silver Bow. ana WIN uicIF
Bump House aud a majority IN the state senate 10
iccoenzc Il. viii pas lave which cannon DC VAIN
unlc the supreme Court goes back ON IT, TWO former
decisions. 4, lar y, any one know, the KcpHDIoah
member, viii stand firm tis year ~ last' the bc"'
ocratc member, well pad by the democratic DoSAe''
will insist on maintaining their POSITION ana mere j
state Of affair, sufficient Tor repetition oi the d''uo'N'
The hall for the legislative session nave "''c"''
been rented ana the session begins at Il "c"'A h'o
January .. II viii lac the duty Of the Sa'c Nu'H'"
f. l tle roll # il D., a new session. II, IL claimed
y the Democrats it continued session u VIII W
ihc dat. If the oldest member happens 10 hc
KcpnlIcan- the CLERK OF the ld'l a->'lol' ulc
;hr direction of the speaker. " thcIc "oIc t"p
clerk, and two ,pcalcrs last session, ana - every
ccnuicalitv VIII br taken advantage 0i, the interest
NM q ugmIcN without the