The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-08-12
Mr.. Russell B. Harrison's Newspa-
per Denounced in the Most
Scathing Terms
A Mass Meeting OF Thousands Of
Butte Citizens Take Such
Action.
1t WantonIy IBsulted tho Good People
of ths Greht Mining Metropolis OF
the State.

BUTTE, Aug. 11.-[Special. Tho largest
mass meeting ever held in Butte was that
of this evening TO boom Butte for the capi-
tai. Between 5000 and G,OOO people
gathered in the square before the court
house. The meeting was entirely har-
monious until towards the close, when the
Deer Lodge peple made something OF =
stir by trying to set endorsement of that
city. The Deer Lodge people succeeded in
getting resolution passed favorinR west
side convention. but this was subsequently
referred to = committee OF 100 in whose
hands Was placed the entire conduct of
Butts's boom. Enthusiastic speeches were
made BY Lee Mantle. W. A. Clark, John
Caplioe, w. Q. Sheer and W. Il. Hall, in
favor of Butte. and by g. w. Stapleton in
favor of Deer Lodge.
Much Of the attention Of the speakers
was devoted to the Helena Journal. Lee
mayor Of the city, to denouncs in behalf Of
the women and the good citizens of Butte
the Helena Journals Article a. entirely
false aud infamous, and the sheet ~ soan-
da!ously unjust and infamous, and lacking
in every sense of propriety and decency.
The citizens of Butte will rank with the
best in birth.
w. A. Clark deprecated the entrance of
any personalities into the fight for the
capital and denounced the disreputabls
and scurrillous liar who referred to Butte
as modern 6odom and Gomorrah, and
said the article was written by an infem Gus
scoundrel who was fred out OF Butte
newspaper office for drunkenness, and is
thoroughly irresponsible. But tho paper
which published it WAS wholly inex-
cusable and the sheet is unworthy the sup
port of a decent community, and he be-
lieved the people of Helena would repudiats
the action of the infamous newspaper.
w. Z. Hall said the writer OF the article
was miscreated nonenity. the sheet that
published it was disreputable.
M. T.. Holland, chairman Of the COM
mittee on reasons why Butte should be
selected as the capital, presented volume
inous statement which briefly enumerated
the reasons as follows: That Butte came
to the rescue of Montana in 1876 whom ths
placer mining camps had played ont and
mining seemed on tho wane. Butte has
demonstrated to the world that the mines
of Montana do not give out as they get
deeper, thus giving encouragement to for
eiRn capital. To Butte belongs the honor Of
bringing to the state thousands of miners
engaged in developing her resources. of es-
tablishing a standard scale of wages
throughout the northwest, of bringing to
the state thousands of artisans mechanics
and farmers. Many counties owe much Of
their prosperity to Butte. Were it not for
the mines Of Butte Great Falls to-day
would not be a candidate for the capital.
The people of Butte furnished the money to
survey railroad from Bozeman to
Butte, putting the farmers of the Gsllstin
valley in communication with their best
market. Yellowstone and Park counties
are indebted TO Butte for she impetus to
their coal and coke enterprises; Choteau,
Dawson and Cascade for their great trans
continental railroad, which gives them
cheap transportation.
Even Helena 10 indebted for the figures
she sends throughout the east whom she
sppropriates the output Of Butte mines a.
the product of her own barren hills. Stat
istics show the death rate in Butte from
natural causes to be less than nearly every
city of the union. Since the abolition Of
heap roasting the atmosphere has bsen al
most clear of smoke and grass and flowers
are growing in many front yards of Butte
this summer.
To the argument shat Butte is not per-
manent, it is shown that while nearly every
other town in Montana ia at stnndstill
Butte has expended $.,000,0O0 in buildings
the past four years. and there are more and
oostler buildings in course of const ucton
now than in oil the rest of the state COM
bined. The city IN 1880 had one. thirteenth
of the population of the state. and now has
one hfth Of it. Butte is a mining center. 4
railroad center. a commercial center, and a
center of population. and by the produce
tion of $2oo,000,00o in minerals has given
Montana standing advertisement of the
possibilities Of the state.