Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-12-08
STEALING A State.
Republicans Again Planning to
Hold a Montana Seat in
The Senate.
The Scheme is to Unseat Four
or Five Democratic Leg
iSiatOrS-Elect.

past week it has developed that there
is Il conspiracy on foot to repeat the
frauds by which the republicans sent
two senators to Washington in 1889.
Until ten days ago, it was impossible
to tell, owing to the closeness of the
result on the legislature. how Montana
stood on joint ballot Finally, when
all the returns were in, it was found
that Of the II votes on joint ballot the
populists had 3, the democrats S6 and
the republicans 50. OF the populists,
two are republicans and one democrat.
The senate consists of sixteen mem
bers, nine democrats and seven repub-
licans; the house of fifty-fve members,
twenty-seven democrats, three popn-
lists and twenty-five republicans. OF
the twenty-seven democrats in the
house, one, A. L. Hamilton of Choteau
county, was defeated on the
Face Of the Returns
by twenty-seven votes. When the
board of canvassers of Choteau county
canvassed the returns, affidavits were
filed with them by the voters of Box
Elder district to the effect that the ell
ectlon there was fraudulent, for the
reason that a number of half-breed
voters had been paid $40 each for their
votes. Affidevits were also presented
to the same effect from half-breeds who
had received money to vote for the re-
publican candidate. The board of cam
vassers, consisting Of two republicans
and one democrat, following the deci-
sion of the supreme court of the state
in the case of precinct 81, Silver Bow
county, in 1889, by a unanimous vote
threw out Box Elder precinct. This
gave Hamilton. democrat, plurality,
and to him they gave certificate.
For months it has been known that
Lee Mantle, Of Butte.
Republican, would succeed Sanders as
United States senator, provided his
party controlled the legislature. 1t
has also been all open secret in politi-
cal circles that a leading millionaire
Democrat was back Of his candidacy,
and the returnes from Silver Bow
county Nov. showed this Democrat
had done all in his power to elect Man
tie men to the legislature. This mill
ionaire politician has always posed as
a Democrat, but last spring he elected
Mantle mayor of Butte, and in every
case, where Mantle's interests: were
concerned, he has thrown his ,int1u-
ence against the democrats and for. the.
Republicans. The deal between them
is a business one, and is connected
with supplying Butte with water. Two
days ago
The Anaconda Standard,
supposed to be a Democratic paper,
came out in a column editorial denounc-
ingthe action of the board of canvassers
of Choteau county in the Box Elder
case. Today it followed it up with
another colnmn, in which the clue is
given to the plan the Republican mem
bers of the legislature propose to follow
in order to send Mantle to the United
States senate. 1t is to get enough
Democratic members Of the house to
vote with the Republicans and the two
Republican Populists to unseat Hamil-
ton and at least two more Democrats.
and thus give the republicans majori-
ty on joint ballot. 1t is not sure that
the Democratic leader referred to
above can control the caucus for Man
tie under the circumstances, but if not,
then ex-Land Commissioner Carter
will be the Republican choice. The
Democrats are watching every move
of the Republicans, and with the ex-
perience gained in 1889, say they will
checkmate the state stealers this time.