The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-05-14
THE CAPITAL QUESTION.

tDuer IL provision OF the constitution
of Montana every mar entitled to vote
may express his choice next November
as to the permanent location of the cap.
ital Of the state. The contest will be a
free for-all race, every town and city in
the state being permitted to enter. A
plurality of votes doesn't count. a ma
jority being required to determine the
matter. If a majority of all the votes
be not cast for any one place the ques-
ton will again be submitted to the
electors of the state at the general cleo
ton in 1894, when the two cities having
the highest number Of votes to its credit
at the November election in 1892 will be
the only candidates, and votes cast for
other places will not count. In the
meantime Helena will remain the tenn
pOrary capital of the state.
The principal candidates for capital
honors at the ensuing election are
Great Falls, Bozeman. Helena, Butte,
Anaconda, Deer Lodge and Missoula.
Two or three other towns may also en-
ter for the race. In view of the null
tiplicity of candidates it is hardly within
the range Of probabilities hat any one
city will receive a majority of all the
votes cast for the permanent capital,
therefore the contest next November
will simply decide what two cities shall
be voted for at the general election in
1894. 1t will be a battle for place in
the deciding race. Great Falls is today
the most prominent candidate for capl-
tai honors and if anyone candidate re-
ceive a majority of all the votes cast up
on the question next November it will
be Great Falls.
In determining the capital question the
people of Montana will take into con-
sideration the following considerations:
Centrally, accessibility. topography of
place and surroundings. healthfulness,
quality and quantity of water and fuel,
resources and their ~permanence, posi-
BILE population of place and country,
agreeableness as a place of residence,
and c%heapness and abundance of build
ing material. These are the principal
matters which people will or should con
slider in locating the permanent capital
of a great state like Montana. Disclaim-
ing a desire to institute comparisons be-
tween Great Falls and other cities i'm the
state by which the latter would suffer
the TRIBUNE would candidly ask if there
is another candidate for the capital
which possesses all these essential
factors to population, wealth and pros
perity in such marked degree as Great
Falls. There is not one.
AS to centrally a matter of prime
consideration Great Falls stands first.
Montana is an empire in domain. 1t is
nearly 200 miles in length by 300 in
width. Great Falls is much nearer its
geographical center than any other can
didate for the capital. A glance at the
map Of the state will show this.
Accessibility--No city in the state can
be more easily reached from every dlrec-
ton by railroad than Great Falls. The
Great Falls d. Canada from the north;
the Great Northern from the east; the
Great Falls a. Neihart and Barker and
Midland from the south, and the Mon
tana Central from the west run to and
from the city. The Burlington is max
ing Great Falls al objective point, thus
opening up the whole southeastern por-
ton of the state to it's traffic.
Topography Great Falls is beauti-
fully located upon the banks of the Mis-
souri,. The city proper is built upon an
| almost level area of fertile land with suf-
ficient fall toward the river to secure ex-
cellent drainage. Its streets are wide,
level, and perfectly straight. 1t has
room for a million people without en-
croaching upon the surrounding gently
rising bench lands or plateaus. 1t has
the finest drives in the state and it's en-
| vironments are pleasing and grateful to
the eye.
He%althfqlness No city in the world
Cdl BLOW d IcSS uCdtl Idtc ItI Cupitd,
nor none a so poorly tenanted cemetery,
The topography of the state throws il
directly in the pathway Of the southwest
trade winds of the north Pacific, which
becoming cooled and purified in passing
over the great Rockies come surcharged
with the health and life giving ozone OF
the intervening forests and high plateaus
and carrying away in their resistlesf
course all those noxious emanations from
which no large city is entirely free
Great Falls is without a doubt the
healthiest city in the west.
Water and fuel-Thesc are among the
very first essentials in the economy OF
civilized life. The ever flowing pure
waters Of the broad Missouri which
sweeps by the gates Of the city afford an
unlimited supply of the former, while