The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-23
lhe Anaconda Money Is Dropping
Like Water Through a
Broken Sieve.
Listless Political Campaign Hx-
cept in the Race for County
Offices.
Local Candidate Says Campaigning Is
Hard Work. IA That One Trip
j. Enough.

III The mental condition of the average Mon.
lana voter will be worth investigating after
[il the votes are counted and tho post-elec-
N on festivities and sorrows have run their
E~soursc. II an addition to the Warm
Springs insane asyl1m ia not needed within
|Eho coming six weeks the observer will be
realty surprised.
It is the hardest fought battle of ballots
|sver known in tho western country. IL mas
eoome q campaign of jealousy, bitterness
ind mitigating, and 1t will be a long time
Before the traces of hard feeling are re-
|iaoved. II increases in intensity as the
|hinews of war become more plentiful and
|Ehe day for tho final round approaches.
4, his ia all because six cities are struggling
|lpr the capital and no one knows how it Will
|knd. It has all but ovei shndowed the presi-
|~iential n state elections. Ii the men
HOW employed as canvassers by the com
Hnittees of different towns could get to-
E.ether they could swing the election either
|Egay. All are we'll supplied with money
Mud this is being expended in a way that
Fyould make the ordinary citizens hair
hurl. II goes for literature. big salaries to
|hanvassers, to an army of typewrite's and
|Elerks and whore it is supposed to do the
hnost good"
A. w. Ide. of this city. who has lately
Returned from the Flathead country, says a
Imam can almost be financially fixed for life If
He will show evidence of his ability to pro-
|Rluce a half dozen votes in that section for
The Smelter oity's managers
HAD seven men working within narrow geo
F%graphical limits for weeks. There IL no
snd to their money. They are fairly throw
Eng it to the birds. To illustrate one of
Elfheir~ methods: They will gather about a
Ramall crowd of people from different sides
land begin talking for Anaconda and then
Ddnvite the crowd into a neighboring snloon.
@The ordinary plebian drinks are not de-
branded; nothing but champagne goes, and
Ntkis is tossed off until every man in the
fcrowd has had his fill. This programme Is
repeated every day and will probably be in
@vogue until election day. The Anaconda
agents are not at all slow in stating their
Ebusiness. One of them offered Mr.. lde
ISL, 500 to work for the Smelter town, but
dthe offer WAS refused without hesitation.
Dit ia a series of picnic holidays for the
lrounders and tin-horn fellows. Tn Great
BALLS contingent is driven completely out
of the field, so that the Flathead vote will
Nne QlVlueu D6GW66A Al HCOllNt hAu 1lClOAus
The Anaconda people, approaching that
their grip or Butte ia slipping awRw, are
Amaking the most strenuous efforts to sweep
jMissou!a county. Mr.. DAILY has openly an
Rnounced that $50. 600 will be ''loosened ups
for this purpose. He has also said that he
would give $40 0 if he could be shown that
Anaconda could get 200 votes in Helena.
1.-THE Butte committee has finally got down
Ito hard work. Two of their men were in
Helena last week working for the big camp.
fIhe other aspiiants have not yet estab-
9lished headquarters in this city nor have
gtheis workers appeared here.
The political campaign has not warmed
mp to any appfeciable extent. The only
\ signs of life npf aren't thus far have been
4 the button holing of votes by local candi-
4 dates, an increase OF business IN the saloons,
\ a few political meetings and the nightly APP
\ pearance of a iambeaux club. The candl-
\ dates for county Offices are working night
\ and day. They are giving the greater par,
of their time to the outside precincts like
\ Marvsvills, East Helena, Unionville and
n Rimini. The last week will be devoted to
the strengthening of fences in Helena.
Few people appreciate the hard work done
and the amount Of money spent by These
local candidates. One of them said the
4 other evening that he had not been home
for q week. Another who has spent 81. 50(
thus far and will spend as much more be-
\ fore election said; You CON form no idet
of the ense with which money flies
1t is like dropping it IN F,
smelter fl tnace. The necessary expenseI
are enough to consume a years SALARY. bu'
when You add the money that ia thrown
away the total would send a chill dowr
your spine. The first thing a candidate
! must do is to make the voters think be is
good fellow. This isdone through the friend
" assistance of the barkeeper, and if yo,
don't happen to be q regular customer III
will simply take your money and throw i
in the dfAwer without any change back
Now you can imagine that this eats n bi!
hole in your pocketbook when this gait j
continued from day to day. Il is to b
done, however, because all candidates do j
and NO one wants to leave any stones IN
turned. If a candidate is a good speake
and can entertain an audience he gets OF
easier, but there are few candidates in thi
class. Then again YOU have no idea of til
number of men who will strike you TO
five, ten or twenty dollars. They will tel
what they can do with this money and will
even send you notes asking for it. 70,
know the money will be pocketed immedi
ately and yet you dare not take any chance
of refusing. That is the way it goes and j
keeps q mans brain worried from morning
until night. Win or lose this fall l will
never &C through with this experience