Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-10-20
REASON AGAINST PREJUDICE.

1t will be noticed hat the Anaconda
style of capital campaign-for we hold
that town responsible for the wholesale
attempt now being made in various
sections of the state to awaken preju-
dice against Helena, the chief city of
Montana-is not one based upon calm
reason, but on the contrary depends
soley for its success upon the ability to
create d~issension, arouse hostility and
quicken to life feelings of sectional ami
mostly which can only prove injurious
to the state for many years to come.
And all of this is being done, all this
grave injury brought about, for the
qualification of the ambition of one
man for the purpose of establishing the
capital of the state at a town which is
owned and ruled by himself and the
powerful corporation which he repre-
sents. To gain this end his agents not
only exert their utmost endeavors to
enlist the passions and prejudices of
Montana people in his service, but
several east side towns have been
entered and firmly held in the capital
race to draw votes away from Helena,
and thus further the plans of this
avaricious power. How long are the
people of Montana going to bow down
to the contemptous dictation of n
man,
"who towers amongst us like some huge colossus
Whilst we petty men creep betwixt his huge legs
To seek for ourselves dishonorable graves"
There is only one proper line of
argument to influence the voters in
their decision, and that is the suitable
ity of the capital location to the wants
and convenience of the whole state.
This is well put by the River Press,
which says:
The permanent seat of state govern
ment should possess the following
population and accessibility of loca-
ton, permanent esources, abundant
railroad facilities, large hotel accom-
financial The people OF
i u1OUtdhd WI ACaaiiJ AC1iiDO tiob
| of these essential qualifications Helena
stands head and shoulders above othel
a~spirants for capital honors. In no re
spect does she occupy second place
and with her superior fitness demon
strated by every test which can be ap'
piled, there is no good reason why the
voters of a large majority of Montana
citizens should not be cast in her favor
Census figures show that the center o
population of the state is within fifteer
miles of Helena; that is to say, a circle
of any extent with Helena as its center
will take in more people than a SINH
lar area with any other Montana city
as the central point. The qualifica
ton of accessibility is one of grea
importance, and a comparison insti
tuted between Helena and any othel
city in this respect will show that tn,
former is by big odds the most easil,
reached by the majority of people IL
this state. Suppose the capital to bs
located at Anaconda, Butte or Dee
Lodge. In such event the people o
northern, eastern and southern Mon
tana would in nearly every case pas
through Helena to reach the seat o
state government. If located at Boze
man, the citizens of northern, western
and part of southern Montana, desiring
to reach the state capital would have t.
|, pass through Helena. If located a
Great Falls, citizens living in eastern
western and southern Montana coult
only reach it by passing through Hell
ena. These are incontrovertible fact
which will bear full investigation, ant
the lesson taught points most unmis
takably to Helena as the most acces
sible city for the majority Of the peopl'
l of this state. No other city a pre-
) sent claims of equal strength in this re
! gard, and, with the additional recon-