The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-10-21
a 81 BSlDIZED PRESS.

Present indications point to the fac
that the press of eastern Montana hal
been subsidized by the citizens of Hell
ena. This, if it be true. will account FOL
the friendly sentiment said to prevail IL
that section relative to the claim which
Helena presents for the permanent seal
of government of the state of Montana
There is a time within the memory OF
the men of the present day, when the
press of Montana was not for sale; when
the men who owned the papers, and the
writer's employed on them would have
resented with scorn a proposition made
to buy their influence in favor of any
scheme. A case in point is when the
people of Montana voted upon the re
moval of the capital from Virginia City
to Helena. Those who were residents OF
Montana at that time will remember
that "a majority of the votes cast favored
the removal Of the capital from Alder
Gulch to Last Chance. They also recall
the fact that the result of the ballots was
SCut " NhSiuid wy Nv MAJ an VA
animation of them showed that the bal
lots had been tempered with, thus per-
uniting the capital to remain where it
was. At that time oilers were made to
papers her being published by those in
terested. but they refused to be bribed
into silence. and with the possible excep-
ton of one or two papers published at
that time the press of Montana were
unanimous in their denunciation of this
gigantic attempt to defeat the expressed
will of the electors of what was then the
territory of Montana.
1t is to be regretted that this condi-
ton of affairs does not exist at the pres
ent time. AS a candidate for the capital
of Montana Helena has friends not only
within the confines of the municipality
in Lewis and Clarke county. where the
state officers now reside. but in other
parts of Montana she has some admirers
and will receive support therefrom.
That the press has peer subsidized in
certain localities is not only apparent
from the subjoined communication, but
The tribune is informed by men who
own newspapers in northern Montana
that that they have been approached by
representatives from Helena ard offered
"a moneyed consideration to assert the
claims of that city as the place for the
capital.
ilelenas chances for the capital are
becoming rapidly poorer. The situation
in that city is desperate. and if it be Sc
lected on the 18th day of November as
the place in which the capital will be
permanently located it will occasion
a great deal of surprise. In fact there
is not the slightest possibility that Hell
ena will receive a majority of the votes
or that it will get second place, AMI it
will surprise those who are familiar with
the circumstances upon which it bases
it claims to know that Helena even is
awarded a place in the race.
The following shows what is being
done in Eastern Montana. 1t is a com
munication from Miles City which was
published in the Bozeman Chronicle:
AS it is impossible to obtain space in
the subsidized papers of Eastern Mon
tana for any expression not distinctly |
and exclusively favorable to Helena, |
compelled to address a Bozeman pub !
LEGATION. The close similarity of edito-
rials upon the capital question. appear
ing simultaneously in all the papers from
Livingston to Glendive. has attracted at |
tention. While the wording is slightly
varied, the matter is the same. The
Miles City public nave concluded that it
tered along the Yellowstone for a dis
lance of $40 miles, to evolve the same
ideas in the same style at the same time.
Hence the natural conclusion that all
these editorials are either dictated from
or written ia Helena.
| have become possessed of indisput
able proof that the copy is prepared in
Helena, and forwarded weekly to the
subsidized press, and | can furnish this
proof on call. | wish to say further that
the subsidized newspapers of eastern
Montana have lost their force and for
feited the respect of their subscribers.
1t is almost incredible that all these
newspapers should have sold out to
Helena s. readily. so cheaply and so
completely that no discussion is permit
ted. The prevailing sentiment is one of
disgust, and IN Miles City at least, the
situation is dailv becoming more un-
favorable to Helena.