The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-02
LET US BE FAIR.

Great Northern railroad. Its principal
owners, through their real estate agency,
have done a large and profitable busi-
ness for that corporation and enjoy the
confidence of its management. Now
that is all right. The situation is we'll
understood by the public and when the
Inter-Mountain says a good word for
it's friends of the Great Northern no
body is disposed to find fault. 1t is
simply giving a quid pro quo. Grati-
tude is one of the most commendable OF
virtues. The Inter Mountain OF Mon
day, for instance, says:
The Great Northern service is quite as
good as that Of the Northern Pacific. From
Great Falls to Butte it was built BY a Mon
tana man. It passed through the richest
mineral section Of the Rocky mountains
without trying to steal q foot OF mining
ground and paid for its right of way. The
entire policy of the G eat Northern people
has been liberal and considerate to Mon
tana SO far. Mr.. Hill is building his road
to the coast now. 1t is believed he will
build the line to Anaconda now being sur
Voy6u. i ITO tSNSllU VI tho -
into Montana was signalized by a reduc-
tiou of % per cent. in the freight rates.
Our people should NOT forget these things.
Thew should not and do not forget
James j. Hill and Col. G. A. Broadwater, n
will befriend them as long as they pursue
the policy of building up and not destroy
ing the industries of Montana.
To all of which The INDEPENDENT
saw amen. The builders of the Great
Northern deserve all the good things
that can be said of them and the Inter
Mountain cannot go beyond The INDIE
in sounding their praises.
But it seems to US that zeal outruns
discretion when the Inter- Mountains
friendship for one corporation leads it
into statements regarding the managers
Of another corporation which are not
warranted by the facts and which go
far beyond the bounds OF propriety IN
unmerited attacks on individuals. Thus
the same article which we have quoted
above contains the following:
The total suspension of business at Ana
conda end a resulting depression to some
extent in Butte. are owing altogether to
Northern Pacific rapacity.
Why should any Butte or Anaconda mer-
chant, therefore, patronize the Northern
Pacific until it shall change its policy and
give some evidence of a desire to assist the
growth and prosperity of these chief cities
of Montana?
Butte men who give freight to the Cakes
outfit are giving money to continue the war
upon a COMPANY which monthly circulates
"a quarter of a million dollars in Butte and
Anaconda.
These are considerations that ought. to
appeal to the common sense of every bust
ness man in Butte, and we incline to the
belief that the freight receipts of the Nor
thern Pacific show that they do. 1t is
known that Union Pacific earnings dropped
off 5000, 900 for May, according to the Off =
cial report, but 1t is chiefly through Oakes
and the Northern Pacific that the Ana
conda blockade is maintained.
Now we are confident that the last
men to sanction such a statement as
that would be Messrs. Hill and Broad
water themselves. They are railroad
builders and fighters of rival lines, but
they fight fair. They would not stoop
to untruthful personal attacks on Presi-
dent Cakes to gain a point for them
selves. So far as the president Of the
Northern Pacific company is concerned,
we know from personal knowledge that
he made every possible effort to settle
the existing differences. In the nego.
t@iations he and Mr.. Haggin, the repre-
sentative of the Anaconda company
were in entire accord and worked to.
gether most tremendously. If the Inter
Mountain wishes to verify this state.
ment it can get the evidence as soon az
it wants it. Let it ask Mr.. Haggin him
self If his dealings with Mr.. Cakes were
not characterized throughout by entire
fairness, good faith, and an earnest
desire to bring all differences to an end
Call Mr.. Haggin to the stand!
There has been altogether too much
of this personal warfare on Mr.. Cakes
True he is president of a great corpora
ton, but he IS only one man in a boarc
of directors and his will is not supreme
He is not even one of the larger stock
holders of the company. His record ha
been in every way an honorable one
From an humble clerk in a RAILROAD
office he has steadily worked his way u
to the exalted position he now holds b
sheer force of ability and character. III
is comparatively a poor man to-day, de
pendent upon his salary for a livelihood
We submit in all fairness hat to singl
him out for misrepresentation and abus
is unmanly and unfair and a gross in
Justice to a man who has climbed fror
the bottom to the top Of the ladder
round by round, on his merits as a MAJ
And a word as to the railroads ger
orally. THE INDEPENDENT is not TIA
organ of any corporation and is Tia
champion of none, but it does seem lk
unwise public policy for journals tina
should conserve and build up the con
munities in which they are published t
enter into wild and senseless TRADE
against the men who have invested va
capital in developing those commun
ties. The Northern Pacific company hi
done many things it should not ha,
done. and left undone many things