The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-07
THIS MAN MUST BE DEFEATED.

lblcS, u uuuaS IN Oulce, d lalSlnef OF rec
ords, the tool and apologist of fraud
asks the people OF Montana for theil
highest official gift. To win this honor
he has traversed the state from one enc
to the other employing methods charac
teristic OF his entire career in public anC
in office. He does not use these arti
fees at random; be makes Discrimination
Il study and IN his self-delusion believes
that men are ignorant enough to believe
him. His public character, if that word
may be used in this instance, is a singu-
lar unity of all elements most offensive
to honest-minded men, and we believe
that by the result of to-morrow's cleo
ton the voters Of this state will show
their estimate Of this man by forever re-
firing him from public view. Regard
less Of political lines or personal am
bltions, it is the plain duty Of every
Montanian true to his citizenship to
save the honor of the state by prevent
ing this mans succession to it's executive
office. We have sufficient faith in Mon
tana manhood to believe that this will
be done, but it must be done with an
avenging hand. Perhaps, the voter who
does not know the record Of this con-
scienceless aspirant fancies this to be
what is commonly called partisan vitu.
peration." Let VI look at the record
and see if this candidate is rightly de-
fined.
In October, 1883, he was elected to
preside over a new senate of a new state
and which was to be organized as a new
body entirely independent of territorial
connections or precedents. or the six
teen senators seven we're democrats
and seven republicans. The seven re-
republicans met and took the oath of
office at the appointed time. Twenty
four days later the democratic senators
did likewise, after an expressed and
stipulated agreement with the lieuten-
a%nt-governor and the republicans that
no partisan advantages We're to be taken
from this action. Hardly had the agree
ment been made before the king conspi-
rator, Sanders, set his scheming brain
into action to find a way to violate this
compact. 1t was quickly evolved but he
needed a plastic form for the mould.
Where could he find a weakling more
knavish or more pliable in his hands
than Richards? Richards answered all
requirements for the work and was will
ing to be the tool, and was therefore
carefully rehearsed by the Warhorse for
his dastardly work.
Three days later or on Dec. 10, 1889.
fourteen senators met, Mcnamara and
Brown being paired. Senator Hedges
moved that the senate proceed to the
election OF officers, tho motion was sec
onded, but before 1t was announced by
the presiding officer, Senator Baker, of
Choteau, called for the ayes and noes,
the only proper method to determine
whether a quorum was present and vo-
ting. Then came the famous ruling
which was t%ruthfully described as de-
Gliding that seven was a majority OF four
teen. AS all present will remember.
Richards arose., and in a hesltating way,
SAID:
I'm the absence of rules it is not nee
esssary to call for ayes and noes"
Senator Parberry Immediately called
attention to section 10, article 5, of the
constitution, which says that the major
lty of each house shall constitute n
quorum to do bushes. The presiding
officer said that was true after ~organiza-
ton and insisted on his previous ruling.
In defiance of everything a ballot WAS
taken and by the votes of seven repub-
llcan senators on a resolution of Senator
Fisher the minor officers Of that
body were illegally chosen.
1t was the basest outrage ever known
in h history of parliamentary assem-
blages and was without the semblance
OF authority. When asked for authority
the Lieutenant governor referred to a
passage in Cushing's Manual which had
no bearing whatever on the question in
hand. When he says as he did at the
auditorium Saturday evening that he re
ferred at the time to two sections in the
revised statutes for authority he tells a
cleancut and malicious lie. He never
did anything of the sort. Suppose,
however, that he did make these refer
ences. These concerned only the pro-
cedure in the old territorial council and
had no more connection with the first
senate of Montana under statehood than
the edicts Of an oriental rajah.
There was but n right method to
follow and hat was that time honored
ruling sacred TO all parliamentary bodies
OF determining Il quorum present and
voting by calling for the ayes and noes.
Any other ruling was "A yillainous as
sumption of authority which never ex-
lsted and a disregard of all justice and
presidents. A cowardly knave who
would knowingly follow this course
would hesitate at no parliamentary out
rage to DO accomplished by his assist
ance.
On n occasion when James G. Blaine