The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-02-20
ALL ABOUT THE LAND OFFICE.

Our usually amiable contemporary
down on the Missouri-the River Press
has found another mare nest which it
proceeds to expose for the editication OF
it's readers. In yesterday mornings
TRIBUNE reference was m ide to the hys-
t~erical condition of the little sheet and
the hope was expressed that it would re-
cover its equanimity and behave itself.
But it appears that fresh fuel has been
added to the fires of its wrath, and it
again breaks out in a lengthy diatribe
against what it is pleased to term "the
villainous practices and barefaced false
hood" of men whose 'minds never gave
birth to an honest thought" and who by
'trickcry and Misrepresentation and
''rascality and crime" are trying to get
a land Office at Great Falls. Consider
ably over a half column of valuable
space in Tom Powers little paper is de-
voted to this hog-wash to show the gen.
eral cussedness and particular wicked
ness of some mythical person or persons
in this city. And it is all about the
land Office.
The River Press opens the seance with
its Imagination by avering that some
one name not given-said that peti-
tons were being circulated down on the
road east of that little burg praying for
the location of a land office at Great
Falls. and that a conductor on the Great
Northern had one of them. "with instruc-
tions that he secure all possible sigma
lures to the same" This piece of in
formation is the basis for the screed
and the naughty names INDUCED in by
the River Press.
1t is quite possible petitions are being
circulated among the people east Of Fort
Benton asking for the establishment of d
land Office at Great Falls. Aud it is
quite proper that such petitions should
be circulated, not only east Of Fort Ben
ton. but north and south and west and
in that place. Tho people should be
heard in the matter. The right of petit
ton is guaranteed them by the consti-
tuition of the United States and hy the
constitution of Montana Certainly the
River Press would not ab:idge that right.
Parties right in the vicinity of Fort Ben
ton will sign the petition if they have
not already signed one. They recognize
the eternal fitness of things in favoring
Great Falls for the land Office for the
north Montana land district. Fort Ben
ton people may bring their petitions to
Great Falls. There are no strings on
them. The TRIBUNE will not kick if
signcrs he obtained for that place. This
is a free country and men may sign as
best plcases them.
The little story about a conductor
bearing a Great Falls petition with in
structions to secure signatures for this
city won't hold water. The TRIBUNE
might emulate the River Press and tic
nounce the yarn as a malicious false
hood" but it chooses to discuss this mat
ter from the standpoint of reason. and
will simply say the charge is a very silly
one, and has no foundation in fact. In
the language Of Tom Benton, it is las
baseless as the fabric Of a vision Con
ductors are not in the habit of telling
their instructions to the Toms, Dicks,
and Harrys they may meet on their route.
And now while we are discussing this
land Office matter we will ask appar-
entity virtuously indignant down-the-riv-
er contemporary if it can see nothing
"dcspicable," contemplate" or rascal.
ly" in Col. Sanders land district bill
which cuts Great Falls right off at the
pockets, as it were, by running the south
ern boundary line Of his proposed land
district upon the north line Of the city of
Great Falls, thus leaving this city out in
the cold as an appcndagc to Helena:
Great Falls is patient and enduring and
long suffering. but we submit the ques-
ton to our irate neighbor if that trick Of
Sanders to harness Cascade county to
Helena for all time to come, in the land
business. is not pressing the mourners
rather too hard? Is it not more than ii
Christian city like Great Falls should
stand! The TRIBUNE is satisfied that
when the River Press shall discontinue
its seances with it's imagination and re-
habilitate itself in the garb of reason it
will see that Great Falls ls pursuing
purely legitimate lines in seeking the es-
tablishment of a land Office within it's
limits.
The fight over the Davis millions has
been regarded by some as a fight be-
tween Butte and Helena as one of the
| nnnnsiny nrincinals in the long LEGAL bat